10 Best Thrillers of the 1970s, Ranked

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The 1970s produced some of the most memorable thriller movies ever made, and many of them still hold up today. This decade launched the careers of now-famous directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and John Carpenter, among others. They each brought a unique style to the thriller genre, but they all explored gritty urban settings and characters driven to extremes. The result was a collection of truly outstanding action thrillers.

Here is a look at the 10 best thriller movies of the 1970s, ranked.

10) Assault on Precinct 13

John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 is a modern, urban take on the classic Western Rio Bravo. The film centers around a police station under siege by a gang seeking revenge after a failed robbery. Trapped inside, the officers must defend themselves until reinforcements arrive. While Carpenter later became known for horror and science fiction, Assault on Precinct 13 showcased his talent for building suspense and crafting thrilling stories – a formula he revisited years later with his sci-fi film Ghosts of Mars. The movie served as a blueprint for many thrillers that followed.

9) Marathon Man

Though often overlooked, the thriller Marathon Man is a truly deserving film. Based on William Goldman’s novel, it stars Dustin Hoffman as Babe, a student and runner caught in a dangerous scheme. A Nazi war criminal forces Babe to steal diamonds, but the movie ultimately centers on bringing hidden criminals to justice and explores the lengths one man will go to protect his integrity.

8) Serpico

Al Pacino is famous for playing the mafia boss in The Godfather movies, but he starred in many other great films during the 1970s, including the thrilling crime drama Serpico. In the film, Pacino plays Frank Serpico, an honest NYPD detective fighting against corruption within the police force. Based on a real-life story, Serpico is a very tense and gripping film, showing the dangers Serpico faced both inside and outside the department as he worked to expose wrongdoing. Pacino won a Golden Globe for his role, and the movie has a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

7) Three Days of the Condor

Three Days of the Condor showcased a different side of Robert Redford. Although already a popular actor, he played a quiet, intellectual CIA analyst—an ordinary man suddenly thrust into a dangerous situation. After his entire department is secretly targeted for elimination, he’s the sole survivor and forced to go on the run, completely alone. The film received an Academy Award nomination and solidified Redford’s reputation as a versatile and talented actor.

6) Sorcerer

Sorcerer is a suspenseful thriller focused on adventure rather than crime. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the novel The Wages of Fear (this is the second film adaptation), it follows four men on the run who take a dangerous job: driving two beat-up trucks loaded with unstable dynamite 208 miles through a treacherous Latin American jungle. The film is known for its incredibly tense and terrifying scenes, and centers entirely on the harrowing journey itself and the constant threat of explosion.

5) All the President’s Men

Though often considered a historical drama, All the President’s Men is a gripping thriller, especially considering it came out just a few years after Richard Nixon’s resignation due to the Watergate scandal. The film follows the two reporters who uncovered the story, with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman delivering outstanding performances. It’s a fast-paced film that reveals the corruption within the U.S. government and the powerful attempts to cover it up.

4) The French Connection

Gene Hackman’s breakout role came with the hit crime thriller, The French Connection. He played Popeye Doyle, a relentless and uncompromising police officer who wasn’t afraid to bend the rules to catch criminals. The film was groundbreaking for its portrayal of a flawed officer willing to do anything – even cover up crimes – to get the job done, and it quickly gained a large audience. The French Connection received eight Academy Award nominations and won Best Picture, Best Director for William Friedkin, and Best Actor for Hackman. It’s now considered a classic and has been preserved in the National Film Registry.

3) Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film, Taxi Driver, is a classic psychological thriller set in New York City. It follows a troubled Vietnam War veteran working as a taxi driver who fantasizes about being a hero. He becomes infatuated with a campaign worker and attempts to rescue a young prostitute, leading to intense and violent confrontations where his actions are ambiguous. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and is still considered one of the most important and influential thrillers of all time.

2) Dog Day Afternoon

Actor John Cazale had a remarkably short but successful film career. He only appeared in five movies before his death, and incredibly, each one received a Best Picture nomination – three actually won! One of the two that didn’t win, the thrilling Dog Day Afternoon, was equally deserving of the award. The film stars Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik, a bank robber whose plan goes wrong and leads to a tense standoff with the police. Cazale played Sal, one of Sonny’s accomplices. Directed by Sidney Lumet, this movie is a brilliant example of suspenseful filmmaking and remains captivating even after fifty years.

1) The Conversation

Francis Ford Coppola directed several iconic films in the 1970s, but often overlooked is his masterful thriller, The Conversation. The film stars Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert who begins to suspect a murder while monitoring a couple. This discovery plunges him into a dangerous situation, as he realizes he’s not the only one listening. Though less known than films like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, The Conversation showcases Coppola’s exceptional ability to create suspense and tension, making it one of the best thrillers of its time.

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2026-03-31 01:42