Top Thrillers and Action Movies from 2003: Edge-of-Your-Seat Classics

Veronica Guerin

2003 • 98 min • Budget $17M • Box office $9M

Drama, Crime, Thriller

This true story follows Veronica Guerin, an investigative reporter for an Irish newspaper. As drug trafficking spreads, Guerin commits to exposing those in charge. She starts by interviewing addicts and then connects with John Traynor, a secretive informant. After some…

6.6

6.8

17+

Stream on

Threshold

2003 • 82 min

TV Movie, Science Fiction, Thriller

Alien seeds arrive on Earth aboard a space shuttle crew and begin to sprout. Once they reach a critical mass, they will become an overwhelming, unstoppable swarm.

4.7

4.2

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Quicksand

2003 • 94 min

Action, Crime, Drama

A driven compliance executive from a New York bank travels to Monaco to look into suspicious deposits from a foreign bank. There, she encounters a struggling movie star who has fallen into a world of crime.

4.7

5.3

17+

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Godforsaken!

2003 • 90 min • Budget $1M

Thriller, Drama, Crime

Two young men in a small Dutch town share an intensely close friendship, disregarding societal and religious norms. Their bond deepens to the point where they lose touch with reality, leading them down a path of violent crime.

6.1

7.1

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November

2003 • 104 min • Box office $959K

Drama, Thriller

Driven by a hopeful vision, Alfredo travels to Madrid determined to create a raw, heartfelt performance that will awaken audiences. He believes acting should happen outside of traditional theater, directly with the public. Alfredo and his troupe, November, stage their…

7.0

7.6

Twentynine Palms

2003 • 114 min

Drama, Thriller

A photographer and an unemployed woman take a turbulent trip to the California desert for a photoshoot, marked by intense moments and frequent arguments. Their relationship, which appears emotionally detached, takes a disturbing turn when a violent event suddenly brings…

5.1

Belly of the Beast

2003 • 91 min • Budget $14M • Box office $254K

Action, Thriller

Jake and Sunti travel to meet Mongkol, the leader of the Abu Karaf. Mongkol reveals that Jantapan has been consolidating control of the drug and weapons trade since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Jake faces a confrontation that will demand the…

5.4

4.6

17+

Stream on

The Statement

2003 • 120 min

Drama, Thriller

Set in 1990s France, the film revisits the country's division following the early German victory in World War II. An armistice in 1940 created a German-occupied north and a semi-independent south, known as Vichy France. In reality, the Vichy government…

5.6

6.2

17+

Stream on

1-Ichi

2003 • 83 min

Action, Thriller, Drama

The film follows Ichi through his high school years. Mr. Dai is the school's top fighter, and Ichi is always there to watch, a large smile on his face. Mr. Dai believes Ichi is laughing at him, unaware that he…

5.9

5.2

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Nicotina

2003 • 93 min • Box office $5M

Drama, Action, Comedy

A hacker secretly monitoring his attractive neighbor finds his job compromised when he's tasked with infiltrating Swiss bank accounts for Russian criminals.

6.6

6.5

17+

Stream on

The Memory of a Killer

2003 • 114 min

Crime, Thriller, Action

Vincke and Verstuyft, top detectives in Antwerp, investigate the disappearance of a high-ranking official and the murders of two prostitutes. Their investigation points to Angelo Ledda, an assassin nearing retirement whose Alzheimer's is impairing his ability to complete jobs. When…

6.7

7.2

17+

Stream on

Code 46

2003 • 93 min • Budget $7M

Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller

In a future where futuristic passports called "papelles" track people's identities and genetics, insurance fraud investigator William Gold travels to Shanghai to investigate a forgery ring. He becomes involved with Maria Gonzalez, the woman leading the operation, and they begin…

6.2

6.1

17+

Stream on

+11

The Good Thief

2003 • 108 min

Crime, Drama, Thriller

A seasoned gambler, down on his luck, plans a casino heist in Monte Carlo. However, authorities are already aware of his intentions, anticipating his move before he even begins.

6.1

6.4

17+

Stream on

The Order

2003 • 102 min • Budget $35M • Box office $11M

Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

For centuries, a secret Order of priests has operated within the Church. Father Alex Bernier, a priest deemed a renegade, is dispatched to Rome to investigate the puzzling death of a highly respected member of the Order. As a series…

5.7

5.1

17+

Stream on

Basic

2003 • 98 min • Budget $50M • Box office $42M

Action, Drama, Mystery

During a routine jungle training exercise near the Panama Canal, a hurricane devastates a US Army base where an elite team of Army Ranger recruits are stationed. Only two recruits survive, one seriously injured, and they offer conflicting accounts of…

6.5

6.4

17+

Stream on

The Matrix Reloaded

2003 • 138 min • Budget $150M • Box office $738M

Adventure, Action, Thriller

As more people escape the Matrix, they arrive in the city of Zion, where a growing Resistance forms. Neo learns he has extraordinary abilities, including the power to see the Matrix's code. With machines closing in on Zion within 72…

7.1

7.2

17+

Stream on

Azumi

2003 • 128 min

Adventure, Drama, Action

Amidst the chaos of war-torn Japan, the Tokugawa Shogun seeks peace by ordering the elimination of rival warlords. A young woman named Azumi has been trained since childhood, along with nine other orphans, to be the perfect assassin. She is…

6.9

6.7

Mimic 2

2001 • 82 min • Budget $10M

Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Detective Klaski is assigned to the cases of three men who have been murdered and mutilated. His investigation leads him to Remy, an entomologist, who is being pursued by a colossal, shape-shifting insect with plans to conquer New York City.

5.3

4.6

17+

Stream on

Saw

2003 • 10 min • Budget $5K

Horror, Thriller

David, a hospital orderly, recounts his terrifying experience of being kidnapped and compelled to participate in a brutal game for survival.

7.0

7.4

Infernal Affairs II

2003 • 119 min • Budget $125K • Box office $3M

Action, Thriller, Crime

This film explores the violent conflict within the Triad organizations as Hong Kong transitions back to Chinese rule in 1997, events that ultimately lead to the story of the first movie.

7.3

7.2

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High Tension

2003 • 91 min • Budget $2M • Box office $6M

Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Marie and Alexia, best friends, plan a relaxing weekend at Alexia's family farmhouse, tucked away in the countryside. However, their peaceful escape quickly descends into terror the moment they arrive. What begins as an idyllic getaway transforms into a horrifying…

6.8

6.7

17+

Stream on

21 Grams

2003 • 124 min • Budget $20M • Box office $60M

Drama, Crime, Thriller

Paul Rivers, a mathematician struggling with his health and a loveless marriage to an English woman; Christina Peck, a suburban mother of two; and Jack Jordan, a former convict seeking redemption, have their lives irrevocably altered by a devastating accident…

7.3

7.6

17+

Stream on

The Medallion

2003 • 88 min • Budget $38M • Box office $34M

Thriller, Fantasy, Action

A Hong Kong detective dies in a car crash after touching a strange medallion. He is then reborn as an immortal warrior with extraordinary abilities.

5.6

5.2

13+

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Phone Booth

2003 • 81 min • Budget $13M • Box office $97M

Thriller, Crime

A sharp New York publicist answering a phone in a booth receives a chilling threat: hang up, or face death. A laser sight confirms the caller's seriousness.

6.9

7.1

17+

Stream on

Mystic River

2003 • 138 min • Budget $25M • Box office $156M

Thriller, Crime, Drama

The lives of three men, who have been friends since childhood, are upended when one of them experiences a devastating family loss.

7.7

7.9

17+

Stream on

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

2003 • 110 min • Budget $78M • Box office $179M

Fantasy, Action, Thriller

To avert global conflict, iconic figures from Victorian novels unite to confront a devious antagonist.

6.0

5.8

13+

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The Core

2003 • 136 min • Budget $60M • Box office $74M

Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller

Dr. Josh Keyes, a geophysicist, discovers that an unknown force has stopped the Earth's inner core from rotating. As the planet's magnetic field weakens rapidly, the atmosphere begins to disintegrate, leading to widespread disaster. To fix the crisis, Keyes and…

5.8

5.5

13+

Stream on

Eagle Eye

2008 • 118 min • Budget $80M • Box office $178M

Mystery, Thriller, Action

Jerry Shaw and Rachel Holloman are two strangers whose lives are upended by a mysterious woman they've never encountered. This unseen caller begins threatening them and their families, manipulating their actions through common technology and escalating the danger. As things…

6.5

6.6

13+

Stream on

+11

Jeepers Creepers 2

2003 • 104 min • Budget $17M • Box office $63M

Horror

A group of high school athletes find themselves stranded on a lonely road when their bus breaks down. They soon realize they've encountered a formidable foe – one they may be powerless to overcome.

6.2

5.7

17+

Stream on

+11

Underworld

2003 • 122 min • Budget $22M • Box office $95M

Fantasy, Action, Thriller

For centuries, vampires and werewolves have been locked in a nightly war. That changes when Selene, a renowned vampire warrior known for her strength and skill at hunting werewolves, falls for Michael, a peaceful werewolf who desires an end to…

6.8

7.0

17+

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