Best Thrillers of 2025 That Had Everyone Talking

2025 was the year thrillers completely took over our screens, delivering adrenaline in every possible shade. The entire year was a rollercoaster of tension with horror that crawled under your skin. Crime sagas that spiralled into moral grey zones. Slow burns that made you watch characters unravel one decision at a time. And spy worlds packed with danger and dark humour. This year’s thriller slate proved that ‘edge of the seat’ can mean very different things, all of them binge-worthy for real.

Here are this year’s five popular thrillers from ‘Prime Video’ that didn’t just entertain but dominated both charts and conversations.

Paatal Lok S2

After a five-year-long wait, ‘Paatal Lok’ returned with an explosive second season this year that not only expanded its dark crime universe but also dug deeper into how violence, power and prejudice feed off each other. Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary once again delves into a high-profile case that leads him from Delhi’s power corridors to the remote terrains of Nagaland, uncovering truth after truth that feels more unsettling than the last. This season reminded everyone why ‘Paatal Lok’ continues to be one of India’s most popular crime thrillers and is an absolute must-watch before the year ends.

Khauf

Equal parts horror and full-blown thriller, ‘Khauf’ is that nightmare you can’t shake off even after the lights come on. A young woman moves into a Delhi hostel thinking she’s starting afresh, only to find her room conceals an inexplicable, malevolent presence that begins to dominate every corner of her life. The series boasts tight storytelling, wicked twists, exemplary performances and that delicious kind of tension that makes you pause, rewind and question everything.

The Family Man S3

Srikant Tiwari became a household name long before this season debuted, but ‘The Family Man’ Season 3 thrust him into his deadliest mission yet and pushed his dual life to even higher stakes. As a new threat knocks the beloved intelligence officer off balance this season, his life suddenly becomes a race against time, enemies at every turn and family bonds that are tested under fire. Notably, the third season of the hit series became one of Prime Video’s most-watched series of the year, proving why this franchise remains a benchmark for modern Indian thrillers.

Nishaanchi

Told across two chapters, Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Nishaanchi’ tracks twin brothers tangled in crime, loyalty and guilt and uses their choices to build a full-blown crime action-thriller. The first part lays out the world of gangsters, shifting allegiances and fierce rivalries. The second part leans into consequence. Every bullet fired in Part 1 comes back as a reckoning in Part 2. It is gritty, emotionally charged and built like a long fuse burning toward an explosion you know is coming, yet can’t look away from.

Heads of State

The film brings together Idris Elba, John Cena and our very own desi girl Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a high-octane thriller that plays out with the madcap energy of two men - not just any other men but the US President and the UK Prime Minister - who were never meant to work together. With slick action, witty humour and big set pieces, the film thrives on the combustible chemistry between its leads and the thrill of watching two stubborn men try to save the day without killing each other first.

If cliffhangers fuel your soul and conspiracies make you grin, this line-up captures the best of what thrillers looked like on ‘Prime Video’ in 2025. From supernatural dread to political heat to spy-world mayhem, there is a mood here for every kind of thrill-seeker.