Top 10 Indian Psychological Thrillers That Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

1. Manichitrathazhu (Malayalam)

A well-crafted psychological thriller released in the 90s, directed by Fazil. It is based on a superstitious belief associated with the ancient family mansion - Madampalli and a young couple of the family are determined to stay there. Living with no choice, the whole family moves in with them. As time surpasses, there are several strange happenings and this is where Nakulan contacts his friend, a psychiatric doctor - Dr.Sunny, as he doubts his cousin is behind all these problems whereas the family and the people around the place believes she is possessed by Nagavalli. After his arrival, the story takes a more interesting pace that keeps the audience surprised till the climax.

2. Anniyan (Tamil)

Ramanujam Iyengar,a devout as well as a lawyer by profession, is straightforward and has the urge to change the wrongdoing of the society but fails miserably because of his innocent, off-repeated character. He has been turned down by the girl he loves because of this. These circumstances lead to the development of an alter ego -Anniyan- the one to reform the society by punishing the wrong doers with Garuda Puranam and Romeo - the ideal fashion model according to the woman who he truly loves. This movie interestingly showcases multiple personality disorders. At first the film seems to be plain and simple, but as time passes by the complexity intensifies.

3. Ratsasan Click to look into! >> Read More... (Tamil)

The protagonist of the movie is an aspiring filmmaker who wants to do a movie on psychopaths, but is facing rejection and continuous pressure from family due to which he joins the police force. An unusual series of brutal murders of teenager girls occurs in the area. The protagonist suspects the hand of a psychopath serial killer in the case. The protagonist tries to catch the antagonist before the number of victims rises. The movie depicts how the protagonist cracks down the case. Innovative ideas, creative writing, brilliant acting, and interesting plot twists all together make a perfect psychological - crime thriller.

4. Lucia Click to look into! >> Read More... (Kannada)

A man who is battling insomnia, buys a drug that supposedly helps him sleep and dreams about his life the way he wants. So the man buys Lucia, and the movie depicts the events happening henceforth. Parallelism between reality and fantasy keeps the audience doting on the upcoming sequences and how the man's mind drives himself between reality and fantasy. Interesting take on the human mind and how with the help of Lucia, the man dreams out a life he wants.

5. Raman Raghav 2.0 Click to look into! >> Read More... / Psycho Raman (Hindi)

The movie is about the serial killings of Ramanna-who is following the same path as real-life serial killer-Raman Raghav. At a circumstance, he meets Raghavan, who is a police officer working on the murders done by Ramanna. He realizes that Raghavan is his soulmate and he aims to make Raghavan realize how similar they are. The rest of the movie showcases the ruthless cat and mouse game and whether there is a revelation of the shady side of Raghavan. This movie portrays a great version of personality reflections of the characters intelligently portrayed. Every bit of the scene is blended well enough to make the audience indulge in the movie.

6 .Game Over (Telugu & Tamil)

Swapna, young women and game designer, is suffering from post-traumatic stress and has a fear of darkness being a rape victim. She has a tattoo that is believed to be the cause of many problems in her life and later learns it has a mix of ashes of a victim of serial killings. She is addicted to gaming and an attempted suicide survivor. She faces an encounter with the serial killer, who is a serial killer on the loose, and keeps killing girls, as she has become the target. Her mind plays a psychological intervention yet seems like it is real by crossing over the game she plays, her fears and the belief of a tattoo on her-revenge for the girl who died. It is an interesting storyline in this genre showcasing the subconscious struggle .

7. Darr (Hindi)

Kiran is engaged to Sunil, a navy officer with the family's approval. Rahul is her classmate, who is obsessed with her and stalks her. He wants to have Kiran in his life under any circumstances, and he is willing to go to any extent to get her in his life. Kiran and her family come to know about the stalker, but little do they know about the real identity of the stalker. The movie portrays how she and her family take steps to make the stalker stop and how Rahul continues to pursue her. His addiction, toxicity and obsession for her increase his willingness to go to any extent. The concept of obsessive love and how the mind of a person goes wild in love is well blended and this film is a treat to the audience.

8. Athiran Click to look into! >> Read More... (Malayalam)

A mental asylum, set up in the wilderness which is portrayed as mysterious. Dr.Nair, a psychiatrist, comes to inspect the place. A patient, Nithya-who is said to be the daughter of Dr.Benjamin - the doctor of the asylum, is kept locked up in a room that is supposedly dangerous. Dr.Nair understands that she has autism which doesn't need admission into a mental asylum. He starts to understand the case and uncovers the mystery around her. The movie turns out to show a detailed version of a mental disorder. The movie setup, the mind-blowing twist and turns, makes the audience nail-biting, especially in the second half. This movie is definitely a treat to the audience in the psychological thriller genre.

9. Karthik Calling Karthik Click to look into! >> Read More...

Karthik is an introverted employee who is frustrated over things and has faced multiple emotional traumas in the past. He chose to bear his overruling boss, give up on competition and not go after the girl he loves. He decided to end his life, but then a call rings up, a person of the same name, assuring him to solve all the problems of his life. This call becomes regular and the rest of the film deals with how the call can help Karthik and the consequences of the call that brings forth. The person behind the regular calls is kept as a mystery until it is the perfect time to reveal it.

10. Forensic Click to look into! >> Read More... (Malayalam)

ACP Rithika Xavier is a police officer working on the abduction and murder of girls who suspects the hand of a serial killer. She teams up with the forensic department led by Samuel John Kaatookaran. As the number of the children increases, Samuel goes on to investigate the case in depth with his forensic knowledge. The motive, the killer remains unknown until it reaches the end. Unveiling the truth is more challenging than it seems to be. The film keeps the audience in the position of the investigator and keeps you guessing and surprised to know the twist and turns in the movie.