Top 10 1970s Thrillers: Must-See Action & Suspense Movies

Get Your Heart Racing! 10 Edge-of-Your-Seat Action Thrillers From the 1970s!

The 1970s: When Thrillers Got Gritty, and Filmmaking Got Real

The 1970s: A wild time for Movies! New filmmaking styles and tech completely changed things. On-location shoots and lower budgets helped bring unique stories to life. And this was the moment that thrillers, as we know them, really exploded onto the scene; this era made for amazing classics and is still really hard to top even in more recent times. Those smaller cameras and those innovative editing techniques added tons of possibilities to that cinematic experience; generating something really powerful and which still resonates even now.

That’s when legendary directors like Steven Spielberg, Sidney Lumet, and Francis Ford Coppola began establishing that vocabulary that made thrillers so amazing; adding unique new and interesting techniques that impacted what is even done today. That decade? Insane for thrillers of all sorts and they're still seriously difficult to beat, especially in terms of the creative stunt work and amazing editing that added a powerful punch and impact on viewers that no other period has been able to easily replicate.

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10 Action-Packed Thrillers That Still Deliver Today:

Steven Spielberg holding his Oscars. Image

10. The Driver (1978): A Silent Masterpiece of Cat-and-Mouse

Walter Hill’s second movie is amazing, legendary for the insane car chases–realism and grit–with this quiet tension; featuring the amazing Ryan O’Neal (as the driver) and the chilling Bruce Dern (as the cop). This tense cat-and-mouse chase has this amazing, chilling atmosphere and inspires filmmakers constantly.

9. Marathon Man (1976): Suspense, Sound, and Sheer Terror

John Schlesinger’s adaptation of William Goldman's novel. This one stars Dustin Hoffman, this amazing lead actor pushes the limits both physically and emotionally for that frantic survival against Laurence Olivier's menacing villain who uses this ridiculously terrifying retractable blade! That soundtrack and masterful editing take the intensity up a few notches and it made this utterly memorable.

8. Duel (1971): Spielberg’s Early Masterclass in Tension

Steven Spielberg’s first film! A gripping tale; it completely starts that gripping suspense early, maintaining intensity through this utterly unique story that centers on an unknown truck driver that attacks our main protagonist (Dennis Weaver). The extreme setting of the Mojave Desert completely captures a claustrophobic experience and makes for something uniquely unnerving. Those intense chases? Legendary.

7. Rolling Thunder (1977): Brutal Revenge Against a Corrupt System

(This one is very similar to Paul Schrader’s Taxi Driver) This intensely gritty take starring William Devane explores the horrors of war’s after-effects in its uniquely violent, gripping portrayal of a man who just snaps after extreme family tragedy and who gets his brutally justified revenge on the people involved in ruining his life. This is the dark side of the Vietnam War.

6. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974): Confinement and High-Stakes Negotiations

This is so intense they remade it twice. A subway hijacking—confined space— generating some absolutely insane tension! This totally intense negotiation keeps everything running at high-speed. Joseph Sargent's brilliant direction highlights the criminals' cunning, adding to that gripping, unnerving storyline that becomes something entirely unpredictable.

5. The Last Run (1971): A Breathtaking Mediterranean Chase

(John Huston was initially attached before clashing with George C. Scott) Richard Fleischer’s crime thriller starring George C. Scott. It's a retired getaway driver back in the action game, taking a dangerous job delivering a criminal and his girlfriend to France. Those stunning visuals in that Mediterranean setting are breathtaking. And that masterful use of sound? Seriously unforgettable.

4. Sorcerer (1977): A Perilous Journey Through South America

William Friedkin’s masterful take on this utterly tense road trip—four desperate people driving nitroglycerin through South America. It uses everything to build and maximize that stress; including the incredible Tangerine Dream soundtrack. That opening, revealing the backstory? Each moment on the journey brings increasing danger and tension that makes every viewing an intensely nerving experience; the iconic bridge sequence makes for the moment many recall, when discussing that incredibly gripping story, and for excellent reason.

3. The Silent Partner (1978): Paranoia and Eerie Tension

Daryl Duke’s psychological thriller showcases Elliot Gould (as a bank teller) who plots a heist after a robbery attempt and gets haunted by this awesome villain (Christopher Plummer) It’s eerie and unnerving. Those creative visual elements and scenes, this almost horror-like experience filled with paranoia, are what make this classic truly memorable. A creepy, brilliant moment for many thriller fans.

2. The French Connection (1971): The Blueprint for Modern Action Cinema

William Friedkin’s gritty, hyper-realistic action masterpiece. Gene Hackman is fantastic as this intense detective bringing down drug smugglers in this intensely action-fueled portrayal. It was groundbreaking: that combination of hand-held camera work and dynamic pacing. The car chase scenes? Utterly iconic.

1. Dog Day Afternoon (1975): A Suffocatingly Tense Bank Robbery

Sidney Lumet’s masterclass in building suffocating tension. Based on a true story! This one really displays Al Pacino’s raw acting skill perfectly in this iconic role. The bank robbery’s increasing chaos keeps every viewer tense and it was so intensely creative it redefined several aspects within filmmaking, showing Lumet’s power in constructing this uniquely memorable thrill ride, using an initially confined setting that expands across those cinematic elements featured here. An unforgettable performance, leaving audiences breathless, it became one of those key thrillers which never loses its intensity.

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Conclusion: The 1970s— A Golden Age for Action Thrills!

The 1970s made some truly brilliant thrillers, the intense realism and creative camerawork generating a legacy. These Movies show a distinct artistic period– those raw visuals, superb editing; all helped create this signature filmmaking approach from the decade and each title remains iconic for good reason and for those people remembering exactly just why this era remains so immensely powerful, leaving audiences and critics in shock when examining them today, demonstrating just how influential these techniques would become.