Thriller movie fans, I’ve got your back. Every week, I comb through the latest arrivals on Netflix to pick out the most exciting thrillers arriving on the streaming service. After all, I’m a huge fan of the genre, and never miss the chance to add an exciting and tense flick to my watchlist.
This week, it’s all about one word: “Apex.” This new Netflix original comes from a director well-versed in the genre and stars Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton. I’m extremely confident that it’s going to rocket straight to the top of the Netflix charts and might just be one of the platform’s most-watched movies of 2026 to date. And while “Apex” will most likely dominate the streaming headlines, I’ve also found a couple more thrillers that you can watch on Netflix right now.
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Best Netflix thriller movies to watch this week
‘Apex’ (2026)
I don’t need a crystal ball to see in “Apex’s” future. This new Netflix survival thriller has No. 1 written all over it. Netflix subscribers love thrillers, and this one has plenty of muscle behind it in the form of two well-known actors, Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton, as well as a genre veteran director in Baltasar Kormákur. It lands on the platform this Friday (April 24), and I expect it’ll quickly summit the Netflix most-watched list over the weekend, to hit the apex.
Described as an intense “cat-and-mouse game,” it sees Theron play a grieving woman who is also a very experienced rock climber. Heading into the Australian outback, she gets tangled in a life-or-death hunt when she encounters a lone figure (Egerton), who sees her as prey. To survive against this ruthless hunter, she’ll need all her cunning and mountaineering skills. Let’s just hope it’s better received than Netflix’s other tentpole original thriller this month, “Thrash.”
Watch “Apex” on Netflix from April 24
‘180’ (2026)
Speaking of the Netflix top 10 chart, “180” has climbed the rankings over the past week and now sits at a very respectable No. 3. This South African thriller also serves as a further reminder that popular Netflix content can come from any country. However, recent audience reviews don’t exactly paint this movie in the best light. One viewer on Rotten Tomatoes labels it “one of the worst movies I have ever watched.”
Directed by Alex Yazbek, “180” centers on a father driven down a dark path of vengeance after an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition. I’m not totally sold on its quality given some of the aforementioned write-ups, but it clocks in at a brisk 95 minutes, so if you need a quick thriller fix, then “180” might get the job done.
Watch “180” on Netflix now
‘Beast’ (2022)
“Beast” has been on Netflix since the first week of April, so I’m stretching the term “new” a little here, but I think it’s worth highlighting again. For starters, it also comes from director Baltasar Kormákur, so if you want a thriller double-feature, it’s a natural pairing with “Apex.” Plus, sticking with the Netflix top 10 theme, this 2022 thriller made little impression on the charts when it arrived a couple of weeks ago, which is a shame, as it’s got its merits.
Recently widowed Dr. Nate Daniels (Idris Elba) takes his two teenage daughters (Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries) on a vacation to the Mopani Reserve in South Africa. What was supposed to be a trip to bring the family together and help them heal in their time of grief soon becomes a battle for survival when an aggressive predator begins stalking them. If you’ve ever wanted to see Idris Elba square off against an aggressive predator, then “Beast” is the movie for you, and really, who doesn’t want to see Idris Elba vs. a lion?
Watch “Beast” on Netflix now
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