13. The Good Doctor (2011)
You’ve probably seen Orlando Bloom as the slick, blonde-haired elf inThe Lord of the Ringsor the tanned, swashbuckling pirate inPirates of the Caribbean, but how about as an ordinary but creepy man?
Back in 2011, Orlando Bloom took a step back from fantasy blockbusters and into the indie circuit forThe Good Doctor(not to be confused with the 2017 medical drama TV series).
In Lance Daly’s psychosexual thriller, Bloom plays a narcissist named Dr. Martin Blake who falls “in love” with an 18-year-old patient and does everything he can to keep her in his services.
Related:The Best Movies About Psychopaths, Sociopaths, and Maniacs
12. Fear (1996)
Rich girl falling for the mysterious rebel boy isn’t exactly a new story, but the trope is given a new dimension in James Foley’s 1996 psychological thrillerFear.
In this case, we have the added element of a teenage stalker, where David (played by Mark Wahlberg) follows his 16-year-old girlfriend (played by Reese Witherspoon) around even after she breaks up with him.
Despite his looks and charm, David is an abusive rapist with a violent streak that Nicole never saw coming.
Related:The Best Movies About Trauma and PTSD
11. Sleeping With the Enemy (1991)
Divorcing your husband is one thing, but faking your own death to move across state lines is another. Then again, even that isn’t enough for Laura (played by Julia Roberts), whose unstable husband Martin (played by Patrick Bergin) manages to track her down across America.
Based on Nancy Price’s 1987 novel, Laura thinks she’s finally settled into a peaceful Iowa life when Martin turns up, posing as a detective and breaking into her home. Probably time for a restraining order…
Related:The Best Movies About Divorce
10. Watcher (2022)
If you’re searching for a chilling watch, this one’s for you.Watcheris about exactly what it says on the tin: a man who watches. Specifically, a man who watches from a window. At first, anyway.
New to Budapest, Julia (played by Maika Monroe to critical acclaim) notices a figure staring at her from across the street in the opposite apartment building. This shadow is perpetually watching and presumably waiting. But for what? Unsurprisingly, the police are little help.
9. One Hour Photo (2002)
We’re used to seeing Robin Williams in heartwarming roles, but inOne Hour Photo, he showed the world his acting range.
Although it isn’t Williams’s best movie, itisperhaps his most interesting role for breaking out of typecast, this time to play a loner technician at SavMart who isn’t entirely appropriate.
At first, Seymour seems like an innocent photo developer, but he soon grows obsessed with one particular family. Safe to say, we much prefer him as Mrs. Doubtfire or Professor John Keating…
Related:The Best Movies About Photography
8. It Follows (2014)
If there’s one genre that’s clearly worn out, it’s the horror genre. By design, horror films have a strict set of conventions to follow, which often renders them predictable and—ironically—not scary at all.
That’s why whenever a truly creepy film makes it out, it’s so refreshing for horror audiences. That’s what happened withIt Follows.
Normal stalkers are sinister enough, but it’s even worse when the stalker comes in the form of a supernatural entity.
For Jay Height (played by Maika Monroe), this means trying to outpace an invisible figure that always knows where she is and always moves toward her at a walking pace. The only way to escape? By passing the curse on to someone else—by having sex with them.
Related:The Best Horror Movies Without Jump Scares
7. The Girl on the Train (2016)
Most stalkers follow their targets for unsavory, predatorial reasons we’d rather not think about. But for Rachel Watson (played by Emily Blunt) inThe Girl on the Train, it’s completely well-intentioned.
Rachel is a closet alcoholic who’s still aimlessly riding the train to a job she lost months ago. En route, she passes the house of her ex-husband—and on one ride, she notices his neighbor having an affair.
When that neighbor goes missing, Rachel is consumed with finding out answers, most of them lost to her during drunken blackouts.
Related:The Best Movies About Memories and Memory Loss
6. Ingrid Goes West (2017)
This whole list has been pretty depressing, so how about mixing it up with a solid yet poignant black comedy?
Ingrid Goes Westwarns us about the dangers of social media, which allows Ingrid Thorburn (played by Aubrey Plaza) to infiltrate the private life of an Instagram influencer named Taylor Sloane.
Using Taylor’s (played by Elizabeth Olsen) Instagram feed, Ingrid is able to fake an LA life where she “bumps into” Taylor and becomes her bestie. It’s funny, relevant, and quietly disturbing.
Related:The Best Movies About Social Media (And Its Dangers)
5. The Gift (2015)
Joel Edgerton starred in and co-produced his directorial debutThe Gift, which brags a small but talented cast in a tight set of locations.
This restricted scale adds to the claustrophobic feeling of Edgerton’s thriller, where one neighbor simply won’t leave a couple alone.
Although Gordo (played by Joel Edgerton) was an old schoolmate of Simon (played by Jason Bateman), his persistent visits start to cross over from annoying to uncomfortable. Simon asks him not to visit anymore, but that’s when everything goes from worse to worst…
4. Fatal Attraction (1987)
James Dearden wrote the script forFatal Attractionas an extension of his 1980 short filmDiversion, which Adrian Lyne went on to direct.
InFatal Attraction, Michael Douglas plays Dan Gallagher, a married man who gets karma delivered to him for having an affair with editor Alex Forrest (played by Glenn Close).
Alex turns out tonotbe the woman for a one night stand, who then terrorizes Simon (and his marriage), declaring “I will not be ignored.”
Related:The Best Movies About Cheating, Affairs, and Infidelity
3. Us (2019)
Jordan Peele proved that he’s fit for more than just comedy with his 2017 directorial debutGet Out. Two years later, he carried on his winning streak with another psychological horror inUs, except this time with more immediate threats than existential scares.
Instead of a nosy neighbor or an infatuated love interest, it’s a doppelganger that’s stalking Adelaide Thomas (played by Lupita Nyong’o) and her family. The whole thing was triggered by a visit to a funhouse as a child—the least fun place on Earth.
Related:The Best Psychological Horror Movies That Are Twisted and Disturbing
2. Misery (1990)
There’s fans, there’s stans, there’s superfans, and then you have Annie Wilkes (frighteningly portrayed by Kathy Bates) who’s crazier than all three put together.
One of the eeriest Stephen King film adaptations,Miseryis based on his 1987 novel in which a famous author ends up being trapped in the home of his number one fan.
A blizzard and two broken legs leaves Paul (played by James Caan) reliant on Annie’s care until he rewrites his latest manuscript to her liking.
Related:The Best Movies About Hostages
1. Cape Fear (1962)
WhenCape Fearis brought up, most people immediately think to the 1991 remake starring Robert De Niro. In fact, some people don’t even realize it’s a remake!
Of course, we don’t blame them. It was, after all, a collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, which automatically makes the 1991 remake amazing. But the original is even better!
Martin Scorsese’s great revamp falls just short of J. Lee Thompson’s noir flick, which centers on an unhinged convict Max Cady (played by Robert Mitchum) who gets revenge on the public defender (played by Gregory Peck) who landed him in prison for eight years.
Related:The Best Movies About Revenge
