# List of thriller films of the 1980s

A list of thriller films released in the 1980s.
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/notes |
| 1980 |||||
| Aquella casa en las afueras | Eugenio Martín | Javier Escrivá, Silvia Águila, Mara Goyanes | Spain | |
| The Attic | George Edwards | Ray Milland | United States | |
| Bad Timing | Nicolas Roeg | Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell, Harvey Keitel | United Kingdom | Erotic thriller |
| Le bar du téléphone | Claude Barrois | Daniel Duval, François Périer, Georges Wilson | France | Crime thriller |
| The Changeling | Peter Medak | George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas | Canada | |
| Cruising | William Friedkin | Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen | United States | |
| Dressed to Kill | Brian De Palma | Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen | United States | Psychological thriller, erotic thriller |
| Harlequin | Simon Wincer | Robert Powell, Carmen Duncan, David Hemmings | Australia | |
| The Hearse | George Bowers | Trish Van Devere, Joseph Cotten, David Gautreaux | United States | Supernatural thriller, psychological thriller |
| The House on the Edge of the Park | Ruggero Deodato | David Hess, Annie Belle, Giovanni Lombardo Radice | Italy | |
| The Hunter | Buzz Kulik | Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach | United States | Action thriller |
| Nightkill | Ted Post | Robert Mitchum, Jaclyn Smith | West Germany | |
| The Stunt Man | Richard Rush | Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey | United States | Comedy thriller |
| Three Men to Kill | Jacques Deray | Alain Delon, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Pierre Dux | France | |
| Windows | Gordon Willis | Talia Shire, Joseph Cortese, Elizabeth Ashley | United States | |
| The Woman Cop | Yves Boisset | Miou-Miou, Jean-Marc Thibault, Leny Escudéro | France | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1981 |||||
| Blow Out | Brian De Palma | John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow | United States | |
| Body Heat | Lawrence Kasdan | William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna | United States | Erotic thriller |
| Boy Nazareno | Teody Recio | Rhene Imperial, Beth Bautista, Azenith Briones, Carmen Ronda, Dante Rivero, George Estregan, Dick Israel | Philippines | Biographical action thriller |
| Choice of Arms | Alain Corneau | Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve | France | Crime thriller |
| Deadly Brothers | Cesar Gallardo | Rudy Fernandez, Phillip Salvador | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Diva | Jean-Jacques Beineix | Frédéric Andréi, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez | France | |
| Eaux profondes | Michel Deville | Jean-Louis Trintignant, Isabelle Huppert, Christian Benedetti | France | |
| Eyes of a Stranger | Ken Wiederhorn | Lauren Tewes, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John DiSanti | United States | |
| Eyewitness | Peter Yates | William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer | United States | |
| The Fan | Edward Bianchi | Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Maureen Stapleton | United States | |
| Garde à vue | Claude Miller | Lino Ventura, Michel Serrault, Romy Schneider | France | |
| The Hand | Oliver Stone | Michael Caine, Andrea Marcovicci, Annie McEnroe | United States | Psychological thriller |
| Looker | Michael Crichton | Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey | United States | |
| Ms .45 | Abel Ferrara | Zoe Tamerlis, Steve Singer, Jack Thibeau | United States | Crime thriller |
| Nighthawks | Bruce Malmuth | Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams | United States | Crime thriller, action thriller |
| Pour la peau d'un flic | Alain Delon | Alain Delon, Anne Parillaud | France | |
| The Professional | Georges Lautner | Jean-Paul Belmondo, Robert Hossein, Cyrielle Clair | France | |
| Roadgames | Richard Franklin | Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis | Australia | |
| Sharky's Machine | Burt Reynolds | Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, Vittorio Gassman | United States | |
| Southern Comfort | Walter Hill | Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Fred Ward | United States | |
| Strange Behavior | Michael Laughlin | Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor | New Zealand | |
| Thief | Michael Mann | James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky | United States | Crime thriller |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1982 |||||
| La Balance | Bob Swaim | Nathalie Baye, Philippe Léotard, Richard Berry | France | Crime thriller |
| Brimstone and Treacle | Richard Loncraine | Sting, Denholm Elliott, Joan Plowright | United Kingdom | Psychological thriller |
| Le Choc | Robin Davis | Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Philippe Léotard | France | |
| Class of 1984 | Mark L. Lester | Perry King, Timothy Van Patten, Merrie Lynn Ross | Canada | Action thriller |
| Deathtrap | Sidney Lumet | Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon, Irene Worth, Henry Jones, Joe Silver | United States | Psychological thriller |
| Death Wish II | Michael Winner | Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia | United States | |
| Espion, lève-toi | Yves Boisset | Lino Ventura, Krystyna Janda, Michel Piccoli | France | Political thriller |
| Les fantômes du chapelier | Claude Chabrol | Michel Serrault, Charles Aznavour, Monique Chaumette | France | |
| First Blood | Ted Kotcheff | Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy | United States | Action thriller |
| Forced Vengeance | James Fargo | Chuck Norris, Mary Louise Weller, Michael Cavanaugh | United States | Action thriller, martial arts film |
| Get My Son Dead or Alive | Pepe Marcos | Eddie Garcia, Rudy Fernandez, Vic Vargas | Philippines | Action thriller |
| The New York Ripper | Lucio Fulci | Jack Hedley, Almanta Keller, Paolo Malco | Italy | |
| The Seduction | David Schmoeller | Morgan Fairchild, Michael Sarrazin, Vince Edwards | United States | |
| Still of the Night | Robert Benton | Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep | United States | |
| Tenebrae | Dario Argento | Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi | Italy | |
| Turkey Shoot | Brian Trenchard-Smith | Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig | Australia | |
| Visiting Hours | Jean-Claude Lord | Michael Ironside, Lee Grant, Linda Purl | Canada | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1983 |||||
| 10 to Midnight | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens | United States | |
| Le battant | Alain Delon | Alain Delon, François Périer, Pierre Mondy | France | Crime thriller |
| Blue Thunder | John Badham | Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Daniel Stern | United States | Action thriller |
| Brainstorm | Douglas Trumbull | Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood, Louise Fletcher | United States | |
| Christine | John Carpenter | Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul | United States | |
| Confidentially Yours | François Truffaut | Fanny Ardant, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Philippe Laudenbach | France | Psychological thriller |
| Cujo | Lewis Teague | Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh-Kelly | United States | |
| The Dead Zone | David Cronenberg | Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt | United States | Supernatural thriller |
| Dog Day | Yves Boisset | Lee Marvin, Miou-Miou, Jean Carmet | France | |
| Dope Godfather | Junn Cabrera | Tony Ferrer, Vic Vargas | Philippines | Action thriller |
| The Fourth Man | Paul Verhoeven | Jeroen Krabbé, Renée Soutendijk, Thom Hoffman | Netherlands | |
| Le Marginal | Jacques Deray | Jean-Paul Belmondo, Henry Silva | France | |
| Mortelle Randonnée | Claude Miller | Michel Serrault, Isabelle Adjani, Geneviève Page | France | |
| Octopussy | John Glen | Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan | United Kingdom | Action thriller |
| Over My Dead Body | Arsenio Bautista | Tony Ferrer, Efren Reyes, Jr., Bembol Roco | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Le Prix du Danger | Yves Boisset | Gérard Lanvin, Michel Piccoli, Marie-France Pisier | France | |
| Psycho II | Richard Franklin | Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Robert Loggia | United States | |
| The Osterman Weekend | Sam Peckinpah | Rutger Hauer, John Hurt, Craig T. Nelson | United States | Political thriller |
| The Star Chamber | Peter Hyams | Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto | United States | |
| Sudden Impact | Clint Eastwood | Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle | United States | |
| Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko | Ronwaldo Reyes | Fernando Poe Jr., Baby Delgado, Paquito Diaz, Rodolfo Boy Garcia, Lito Anzures, Fred Montilla | Philippines | Action thriller |
| WarGames | John Badham | Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy | United States | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1984 |||||
| Alyas Baby Tsina | Marilou Diaz-Abaya | Vilma Santos, Phillip Salvador, Dindo Fernando, Rez Cortez, Johnny Delgado | Philippines | Thriller drama |
| American Dreamer | Rick Rosenthal | JoBeth Williams, Tom Conti, Giancarlo Giannini | United States | |
| Batiguas II: Pasukuin si Waway | Manuel "Fyke" Cinco | Rudy Fernandez, George Estregan, Maria Isabel Lopez, Ronnie Lazaro | Philippines | Biographical action thriller |
| Blood Simple | Joel Coen | John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh | United States | Crime thriller |
| Body Double | Brian De Palma | Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith | United States | |
| Cloak & Dagger | Richard Franklin | Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Michael Murphy | United States | Paranoid thriller |
| Crimes of Passion | Ken Russell | Kathleen Turner, Anthony Perkins, John Laughlin | United States | |
| Dreamscape | Joseph Ruben | Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer | United States | |
| The Evil That Men Do | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Theresa Saldana, Joseph Maher | United States | |
| Firestarter | Mark L. Lester | David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Freddie Jones | United States | Psychological thriller, action thriller |
| Missing in Action | Joseph Zito | Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, David Tress | United States | Action thriller |
| Savage Streets | Danny Steinmann | Linda Blair, Linnea Quigley, John Vernon | United States | |
| The Strangler vs. the Strangler | Slobodan Šijan | Taško Načić, Srđan Šaper, Sonja Savić | Yugoslavia | |
| Streets of Fire | Walter Hill | Michael Paré, Diane Lane, E. G. Daily | United States | |
| Thief of Hearts | Douglas Day Stewart | Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz | United States | |
| Tightrope | Richard Tuggle | Clint Eastwood, Geneviève Bujold, Dan Hedaya | United States | |
| Toy Soldiers | David Fisher | Jason Miller, Cleavon Little, Terri Garber | United States | Action thriller |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1985 |||||
| Cat's Eye | Lewis Teague | Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Candy Clark | United States | |
| Compromising Positions | Frank Perry | Susan Sarandon, Raul Julia, Joe Mantegna | United States | |
| Death in a French Garden | Michel Deville | Christophe Malavoy, Nicole Garcia, Michel Piccoli | France | |
| Death Wish 3 | Michael Winner | Charles Bronson, Deborah Raffin, Ed Lauter | United States | Action thriller |
| Defence of the Realm | David Drury | Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, Denholm Elliott | United Kingdom | |
| Fletch | Michael Ritchie | Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson | United States | Comedy thriller |
| He Died with His Eyes Open | Jacques Deray | Michel Serrault, Charlotte Rampling | France | |
| The Holcroft Covenant | John Frankenheimer | Michael Caine, Anthony Andrews, Victoria Tennant | United Kingdom | |
| Into the Night | John Landis | Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dan Aykroyd | United States | |
| Jagged Edge | Richard Marquand | Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Robert Loggia | United States | |
| The Man with One Red Shoe | Stan Dragoti | Tom Hanks, Dabney Coleman, Lori Singer | United States | Comedy thriller |
| The Mean Season | Phillip Borsos | Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway, Richard Jordan | United States | |
| The New Kids | Sean S. Cunningham | Shannon Presby, Lori Loughlin, James Spader | United States | |
| Partida | Ben Yalung | Fernando Poe Jr. | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Police | Maurice Pialat | Gérard Depardieu, Sophie Marceau, Richard Anconina | France | Action thriller |
| Rambo: First Blood Part II | George Pan Cosmatos | Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier | United States | Action thriller |
| Runaway Train | Andrei Konchalovsky | Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay | United States | Action thriller |
| Sotto il vestito niente | Carlo Vanzina | Tom Schanley, Renée Simonsen, Donald Pleasence | Italy | |
| Les Spécialistes | Patrice Leconte | Gérard Lanvin, Bernard Giraudeau, Christiane Jean | France | Crime thriller |
| Subway | Luc Besson | Isabelle Adjani, Christopher Lambert, Jean-Pierre Bacri | France | |
| Target | Arthur Penn | Gene Hackman, Matt Dillon, Gayle Hunnicutt | United States | Action thriller |
| Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except | Josh Becker | Brian Schulz, John Manfredi, Robert Rickman | United States | |
| To Live and Die in L.A. | William Friedkin | William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow | United States | |
| The Trap | Giuseppe Patroni Griffi | Tony Musante, Laura Antonelli | Italy Spain | |
| A View to a Kill | John Glen | Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts | United Kingdom | Action thriller |
| Witness | Peter Weir | Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas | United States | |
| Year of the Dragon | Michael Cimino | Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane | United States | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1986 |||||
| 52 Pick-Up | John Frankenheimer | Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, Vanity | United States | Crime thriller |
| A Better Tomorrow | John Woo | Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Ti Lung | Hong Kong | Action thriller |
| Black Moon Rising | Harley Cokliss | Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn | United States | Action thriller, crime thriller |
| Bleu Comme L'Enfer | Yves Boisset | Lambert Wilson, Tchéky Karyo, Myriem Roussel | France | |
| Blue City | Michelle Manning | Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, David Caruso | United States | Crime thriller, political thriller |
| Blue Velvet | David Lynch | Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper | United States | Crime thriller |
| Cobra | George Pan Cosmatos | Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, Reni Santoni | United States | Action thriller |
| Extremities | Robert M. Young | Farrah Fawcett, James Russo, Alfre Woodard | United States | |
| F/X | Robert Mandel | Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora | United States | |
| Half Moon Street | Bob Swaim | Sigourney Weaver, Michael Caine, Patrick Kavanagh | United Kingdom United States | |
| Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | John McNaughton | Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold | United States | |
| Heroes Shed No Tears | John Woo | Eddy Ko | Hong Kong | Action thriller |
| The Hitcher | Robert Harmon | Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh | United States | |
| Isusumpa Mo Ang Araw Nang Isilang Ka | Nilo Saez | Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Efren Reyes Jr., Susan Bautista, Carol Dauden, Dick Israel, Rez Cortez, Renato del Prado, King Gutierrez, Manny Luna, George Estregan | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Jumpin' Jack Flash | Penny Marshall | Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, John Wood | United States | Comedy thriller |
| Kamikaze | Didier Grousset | Richard Bohringer, Dominique Lavanant, Michel Galabru | France | |
| Legal Eagles | Ivan Reitman | Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Daryl Hannah | United States | Comedy thriller |
| The Manhattan Project | Marshall Brickman | Christopher Collet, John Lithgow | United States | |
| Manhunter | Michael Mann | William Petersen, Tom Noonan, Dennis Farina | United States | |
| The Matador | Pedro Almodóvar | Assumpta Serna, Antonio Banderas | Spain | |
| The Morning After | Sidney Lumet | Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges, Raul Julia | United States | |
| Murphy's Law | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Carrie Snodgress | United States | |
| Raw Deal | John Irvin | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Darren McGavin | United States | Action thriller |
| Zone rouge | Robert Enrico | Richard Anconina, Sabine Azéma, Hélène Surgère | France | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1987 |||||
| Agent trouble | Jean-Pierre Mocky | Richard Bohringer, Catherine Deneuve, Pierre Arditi | France | |
| Angel Heart | Alan Parker | Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet | United States | Supernatural thriller |
| Anguish | J.J. Bigas Luna | Zelda Rubinstein, Michael Lerner, Talia Paul | Spain | Psychological thriller |
| Assassination | Peter Hunt | Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Stephen Elliott | United States | |
| The Bedroom Window | Curtis Hanson | Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert | United States | |
| Best Seller | John Flynn | James Woods, Brian Dennehy, Victoria Tennant | United States | |
| The Big Easy | Jim McBride | Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty | United States | |
| Black Cobra | Stelvio Massi | Fred Williamson, Eva Grimaldi, Bruno Bilotta | Italy | Action thriller |
| Black Widow | Bob Rafelson | Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey | United States | |
| City on Fire | Ringo Lam | Chow Yun-fat, Sun Yueh, Danny Lee | Hong Kong | Crime thriller |
| Cold Steel | Dorothy Ann Puzo | Brad Davis, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Banks | United States | |
| The Cry of the Owl | Claude Chabrol | Christophe Malavoy, Mathilda May, Jacques Penot | France Italy | |
| Dead of Winter | Arthur Penn | Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubeš | United States | |
| Death Wish 4: The Crackdown | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Kay Lenz, John P. Ryan | United States | Action thriller |
| Delirium | Lamberto Bava | Serena Grandi, Daria Nicolodi, Katrine Michelsen | Italy | |
| Extreme Prejudice | Walter Hill | Nick Nolte, Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside | United States | Action thriller |
| Fatal Attraction | Adrian Lyne | Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer | United States | |
| The Fourth Protocol | John MacKenzie | Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, Joanna Cassidy | United Kingdom | |
| House of Games | David Mamet | Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Steven Goldstein | United States | |
| Lady Beware | Karen Arthur | Diane Lane, Michael Woods, Cotter Smith | United States | |
| Lethal Weapon | Richard Donner | Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey | United States | Action thriller |
| Masques | Claude Chabrol | Philippe Noiret, Robin Renucci, Monique Chaumette | France | |
| Nadine | Robert Benton | Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Rip Torn, Gwen Verdon, Glenne Headly, Jerry Stiller | United States | Comedy thriller |
| No Way Out | Roger Donaldson | Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young | United States | |
| Opera | Dario Argento | Christina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi | Italy | |
| A Prayer for the Dying | Mike Hodges | Mickey Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Alan Bates | United Kingdom | Political thriller |
| Prison on Fire | Ringo Lam | Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Kar-Fai | Hong Kong China | Action thriller |
| Robocop | Paul Verhoeven | Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox | United States | Science fiction thriller, action thriller |
| Le Solitaire | Jacques Deray | Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean-Pierre Malo, Michel Creton | France | |
| Someone to Watch over Me | Ridley Scott | Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, Lorraine Bracco, | United States | |
| Stakeout | John Badham | Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Madeleine Stowe | United States | |
| The Stepfather | Joseph Ruben | Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack | United States | |
| Stripped to Kill | Katt Shea Ruben | Kay Lenz, Greg Evigan | United States | |
| Tagos ng Dugo | Mario J. de los Reyes | Vilma Santos, Richard Gomez, Lito Pimentel, Michael de Mesa, Miguel Rodriguez, Joey Marquez, Mark Joseph | Philippines | Thriller drama |
| The Untouchables | Brian De Palma | Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro | United States | Crime thriller |
| White of the Eye | Donald Cammell | David Keith, Cathy Moriarty, Art Evans | United Kingdom | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1988 |||||
| Apartment Zero | Martin Donovan | Colin Firth, Hart Bochner, Dora Bryan | United Kingdom Argentina | |
| Betrayed | Costa-Gavras | Debra Winger, Tom Berenger, John Heard | United States | |
| A Better Tomorrow II | John Woo | Chow Yun-fat, Emily Chu, Waise Lee | Hong Kong | Action thriller |
| Call Me | Sollace Mitchell | Patricia Charbonneau, Stephen McHattie, Boyd Gaines | United States | |
| The Cat | Dominik Graf | Götz George, Gudrun Landgrebe, Heinz Hoenig | West Germany | |
| Cop | James B. Harris | James Woods, Lesley Ann Warren, Charles Durning | United States | |
| The Dead Pool | Buddy Van Horn | Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson | United States | |
| Dead Ringers | David Cronenberg | Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske | Canada | Psychological thriller |
| Die Hard | John McTiernan | Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov | United States | Action thriller |
| The Drifter | Larry Brand | Kim Delaney, Timothy Bottoms, Al Johnson | United States | Crime thriller |
| Dongalo Massacre | Nilo Saez | Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr., Vic Vargas, Michael de Mesa, Ronnie Ricketts, Rachel Anne Wolfe, Philip Gamboa, Baldo Marro, Val Iglesias, Dick Israel, King 'Abdul' Gutierrez | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Frantic | Roman Polanski | Harrison Ford, Emmanuelle Seigner, Betty Buckley | United States | |
| Fréquence meurtre | Elisabeth Rappeneau | Catherine Deneuve, André Dussollier, Martin Lamotte | France | |
| Gawa Na ang Bala Na Papatay sa Iyo | Willy Milan | Fernando Poe Jr., Marianne dela Riva, Vic Vargas | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Hero and the Terror | William Tannen | Chuck Norris, Brynn Thayer, Steve James | United States | |
| The House on Carroll Street | Peter Yates | Kelly McGillis, Jeff Daniels, Mandy Patinkin | United States | |
| Jack's Back | Rowdy Herrington | James Spader, Cynthia Gibb, Roi Loomis | United States | |
| Kumakasa Kahit Nag-iisa | Nilo Saez | Ronnie Ricketts, Nadia Montenegro, Robin Padilla, George Estregan Jr., Dick Israel | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Lady in White | Frank LaLoggia | Lukas Haas, Len Cariou, Alex Rocco | United States | |
| Last Rites | Donald P. Bellisario | Tom Berenger, Daphne Zuniga, Chick Vennera | United States | |
| Masquerade | Bob Swaim | Rob Lowe, Meg Tilly, Kim Cattrall | United States | |
| Messenger of Death | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Trish Van Devere, Laurence Luckinbill | United States | |
| Mississippi Burning | Alan Parker | Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand | United States | Political thriller |
| Il Nido Del Ragno | Gianfranco Giagni | Ronald Wybenga, Paola Rinaldi, Stéphane Audran | Italy | |
| Let Sleeping Cops Lie | José Pinheiro | Alain Delon, Michel Serrault, Patrick Catalifo | France | |
| Nightmare at Noon | Nico Mastorakis | Wings Hauser, Bo Hopkins, George Kennedy | United States | |
| Pin | Sandor Stern | David Hewlett, Cyndy Preston, John Ferguson | Canada | |
| Rambo III | Peter MacDonald | Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Kurtwood Smith | United States | Action thriller |
| Red Heat | Walter Hill | Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle | United States | Action thriller, comedy thriller |
| Rorret | Fulvio Wetzl | Lou Castel, Anna Galiena, Massimo Venturiello | Italy | |
| Shoot to Kill | Roger Spottiswoode | Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Andrew Robinson | United States | Action thriller |
| Spellbinder | Janet Greek | Tim Daly, Kelly Presten, Rick Rossovich | United States | |
| Stormy Monday | Mike Figgis | Melanie Griffith, Tommy Lee Jones, Sting | United Kingdom | |
| Talk Radio | Oliver Stone | Eric Bogosian, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Greene | United States | |
| The Vanishing | George Sluizer | Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege | Netherlands, France | |
| Title | Director | Cast | Country | Subgenre/Notes |
| 1989 |||||
| Arrest: Pat. Rizal Alih – Zamboanga Massacre | Carlo J. Caparas | Ramon Revilla, Vilma Santos, Eddie Garcia, Marianne Dela Riva, Paquito Diaz, Raoul Aragonn, Baldo Marro, Charlie Davao, Rosemarie Gil, Dick Israel | Philippines | Biographical action thriller |
| Black Rain | Ridley Scott | Michael Douglas, Andy García, Ken Takakura | United States | |
| Black Rainbow | Mike Hodges | Rosanna Arquette, Jason Robards Jr., Tom Hulce | United Kingdom | |
| Black Sheep Baby | Leonardo Garcia | Ronnie Ricketts, Monica Herrera, Tony Ferrer | Philippines | Action thriller |
| Criminal Law | Martin Campbell | Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Tess Harper | United States | |
| Dead Bang | John Frankenheimer | Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller, William Forsythe | United States | Action thriller |
| Dead Calm | Phillip Noyce | Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane | Australia | |
| Far From Home | Meiert Avis | Matt Frewer, Drew Barrymore, Richard Masur | United States | |
| Hit List | William Lustig | Jan-Michael Vincent, Leo Rossi, Lance Henriksen | United States | |
| Hitcher in the Dark | Umberto Lenzi | Josie Bissett | Italy United States | |
| Irosin: Pagputok ng Araw, Babaha ng Dugo | Augusto Buenaventura | Anthony Alonzo, Aga Muhlach, Ricky Davao, Paquito Diaz, Chat Silayan, Monica Herrera, Philip Gamboa, Aurora Sevilla | Philippines | Action thriller |
| The January Man | Pat O'Connor | Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | United States | |
| Johnny Handsome | Walter Hill | Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Elizabeth McGovern | United States | Crime thriller |
| Kill Me Again | John Dahl | Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Michael Madsen | United States | |
| The Killer | John Woo | Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh | Hong Kong | Action thriller |
| Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects | J. Lee Thompson | Charles Bronson, Perry Lopez, Juan Fernández | United States | |
| Lethal Weapon 2 | Richard Donner | Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci | United States | Action thriller |
| Licence to Kill | John Glen | Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi | United Kingdom | Action thriller |
| The Master | Tsui Hark | Jet Li | Hong Kong | Action thriller |
| The Package | Andrew Davis | Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy, Tommy Lee Jones | United States | |
| Posed for Murder | Brian Thomas Jones | Charlotte Helmkamp, Carl Fury, Rick Gianasi | United States | |
| The Punisher | Mark Goldblatt | Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr., Kim Miyori | United States | Action thriller |
| Santa Sangre | Alejandro Jodorowsky | Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Sabrina Dennison | Italy Mexico | Psychological thriller |
| Sea of Love | Harold Becker | Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman | United States | |
| Ten Little Indians | Alan Birkinshaw | Donald Pleasence, Frank Stallone, Sarah Maur-Thorp | United States | |
| Tennessee Nights | Nicolas Gessner | Julian Sands, Stacey Dash, Ed Lauter | United States Switzerland | |
| Trapped | Fred Walton | Katy Boyer, Bruce Abbott, Kathleen Quinlan | United States | |
| True Believer | Joseph Ruben | James Woods, Robert Downey Jr., Yuji Okumoto | United States | |
| Twisted Obsession | Fernando Trueba | Jeff Goldblum, Miranda Richardson, Anémone | France Spain | |
| Violent Cop | Beat Takeshi Kitano | Beat Takeshi Kitano, Sei Hiraizumi, Maiko Kawakami | Japan | |