If you're not a horror fan, Halloween can also be the perfect time for some thrilling suspense. This Halloween 2025, catch some of the best psychological thrillers on Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+.
These shows build up tension, keep you on the edge of your seat and "kill" you with their twists. Besides, some are not just thrillers, but exciting crime dramas. We have sive must-watch psychological thrillers for your Halloween 2025 viewing.
1. The Outsider (2020)
What's better at Halloween than a Stephen King adaptation? This one, however, is not the classic horror jump scare but more of a well-knit, suspenseful thriller. It starts with the discovery of a young boy murdered in the small town of Cherokee Creek, Georgia.
The small community is shattered when detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) concludes the baseball coach, Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), is the killer. Only, of course, it's not so simple. A supernatural being known as El Cuco enters the stage.
I will stop with the spoilers there. The Outsider is film noir meets suspense, with a touch of horror because it's King we're talking about. You can stream it on HBO Max.
2. Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Another book adaptation, this series has fans divided. Some love it whole, some are still baffled, or even amused by the ending twist. One thing is certain: the series is extremely faithful to the book, so if you are a fan of Sarah Pinborough's writing, you won't be disappointed.
On the surface, it's a classic psychological thriller. Louise Barnsley (Simona Brown) meets and falls for her new boss, David Ferguson (Tom Bateman). The two start a relationship even though Louise is aware he's married. From the start, his wife, Adele (Eve Hewson), seems to be under strict treatment (and control) for a mental health problem. The first twist comes when Louise befriends Adele while seeing her husband.
The web of lies and deceit ends with the biggest lie of all, something that edges on the supernatural. Stream the show on Netflix to see what that is!
3. The Undoing (2020)
I promise this list isn't just book adaptations, but bear with me for another one. The Undoing, as a series, is even better than the book it was based on, You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Yes, that is possible! I couldn't believe it either.
A young mother, Elena Alvez (Matilda De Angelis), is found brutally murdered. Then, Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) disappears. He becomes the prime suspect, and his wife, Grace (Nicole Kidman), is constantly wondering and questioned by the police. The series keeps us, who see the story through Grace's eyes, constantly asking "Did he or did he not do it?", up until the very end.
The ending has a twist, although once more and more pieces of the puzzle are put together, it's not entirely unexpected. Stream The Undoing on HBO Max.
4. The Watcher (2022)
Another thriller with a horror twist, The Watcher is based on a true story: The Watcher of Westfield, New Jersey. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, it tells the story of Nora (Naomi Watts) and Dean Brannock (Bobby Cannavale). As with their Monster series, the third season of which is now available on Netflix, they blend facts and fiction.
The couple moves into their dream house in a fictionalized version of Westfield, only for it to become a nightmare. The whole neighborhood is filled with odd people, to say the least. The couple is not short of suspects when they start receiving creepy letters signed "The Watcher".
Will they find the identity of the stalker by the end of the series? Tune into Netflix to find out!
5. The Patient (2022)
This one is a pure psychological thriller, I'd say. It follows therapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carell), who we see as a man who deeply cares about his patients, while also battling his own struggle: grief.
All is well until Sam Fortner (Domhnall Gleeson), a patient who wants to be "cured" of his homicidal instincts, takes him hostage. Their sessions continue in Fortner's basement, where Strauss is chained to the floor. Even though most of the series takes place in that one room, the tension building and the limited POV are what make it so compelling.
If you love a bit of dark humor and guessing at how things might end - they do manage to keep the audience hoping for a "happy" ending, only to shock us with the actual ending - stream the show now on Disney+.
6. Mare of Easttown (2021)
This one is a bit more of a typical TV crime drama, but one that is high on suspense. It's essentially the story of police detective Marianne "Mare" Sheehan (Kate Winslet). Her investigation into the murder of teenage mother Erin (Cailee Spaeny) is mixed with her personal life, her depression and family drama.
The show is worth watching, even if only for Winslet's brilliant performance as yet another complex character. True, it may build tension slower and be more dramatic than intense, but the show is full of twists until we get to the much-expected truth: who the killer is!
Is it Erin's baby daddy, is it another potential lover (who's connected to Mare), or someone else entirely? Find out on HBO Max!
Whether you’re after small-town secrets, twisty mind games, or a touch of horror that you’ll still be thinking about when the candy runs out, these shows will give you all the Halloween thrills.
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