10 Great Thrillers You Might Have Overlooked

3) 12 Angry Men (1957)

Though not technically a thriller, 12 Angry Men is nonetheless a thrilling watch and the best courtroom drama ever made.

In it, twelve jurors decide the fate of a man accused of murdering his father. Eleven of the twelve are convinced of his guilt, but the lone dissenting voice demands more deliberation, believing they can’t prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

You’d think a 1950s production set exclusively inside a courtroom (and a juror’s room at that) would be slow viewing, but 12 Angry Men sparkles. It’s the razor-sharp dialogue, the absorbing characters, the prejudices on display. Soon, the jurors begin to waver as the film brings their foibles to light. Juror 7, for instance, wants to conclude the case so he can catch his beloved Yankees play live. And Juror 3 has a strained relationship with own son, tainting the way he sees the case.

Like any good film, 12 Angry Men is a parable to the human condition. The dialogue is Tarantino-esque, and this is 90 minutes of your life you won’t want back.