Original movies are dominating Netflix’s current top 10. Enola Holmes 3, the third adventure movie in Netflix’s detective franchise, occupies the top spot, while Little Brother, a comedy starring John Cena and Eric André, is No. 2. Both movies are satisfying options, but if you’re looking for more thrillers, we’ve got you covered.

Our top thriller this week was recently added to Netflix. It’s a riveting adaptation of a Gillian Flynn novel directed by David Fincher. The next movie is a climbing adventure that might trigger anyone with a fear of heights. Finally, a thrilling documentary about a couple recently in the news rounds out the list. All three thrillers are available in the U.S.

3

Skywalkers: A Love Story

Climbing the tall buildings with your partner

On July 1, two climbers scaled the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. The pair hung a flag that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” Before they climbed down, the male climber got down on one knee and proposed to the female climber. The duo were eventually arrested.

Eventually, the couple was identified as Angela Nikolau and Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus, who are known for their death-defying climbs. As fate would have it, the pair starred in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. Nikolau and Beerkus are known as rooftoppers — people who climb skyscrapers. Most of these climbs are illegal, meaning Nikolau and Beerkus have to sneak into the building. Some of their conquests include Goldin Finance 117 and Merdeka 118.

It’s a death-defying passion that makes me a little queasy to watch. Frankly, I don’t know how they go through with these stunts, especially knowing they could lose the love of their life with one mistake. Hopefully, Netflix will make a sequel to this documentary that covers their Empire State Building climb.

2

Vertical Limit

A race to save a trapped climber

Climbing makes for an ideal activity for a thriller. As a life-or-death activity, it’s easy to draw up suspense. With one slip or false move, climbers could lose their lives in an instant. Put those climbers up against the harsh elements, and you have a solid premise. Throw climbers in a race against time, and you have the basis for Vertical Limit, Martin Campbell’s survival movie.

Climbing runs in the Garrett family, as Royce (Stuart Wilson) and his children, Peter (Chris O’Donnell) and Annie (Robin Tunney), partake in the perilous sport. Unfortunately, a climbing accident results in the death of Royce. Peter steps away from climbing, while Annie becomes a prolific mountaineer. Billionaire Elliot Vaughn (Bill Paxton) hires Annie to lead an expedition of K2, but an avalanche traps Annie, Elliot, and another climber in a crevasse. Peter gathers a rescue team to save Annie and her group before they perish.

I am not a rock climber, so I’m not well-versed in the validity of the climbing scenes. Free Solo’s Alex Honnold even called the opening scene of Royce’s death the “worst scene in all of Hollywood climbing.” Vertical Limit isn’t a climbing documentary, so it’s going to dramatize moments to make a better movie. And you know what? It worked for me. My heart rate increases whenever one of the climbers hangs off a dangerous wall. The race to move nitroglycerin canisters to the shade before they explode is cinematic pulpy goodness. It’s ridiculous fun in the best way.

1

Gone Girl

David Fincher transforms an entertaining book into an excellent movie

Gone Girl pulls no punches in depicting humanity’s darkness. It is a psychological thriller about bad people doing terrible things to one another. It’s disturbing, but it also feels truthful in what it has to say about marriage, society, and the media.

On their wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) discovers that his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. On the surface, Nick and Amy look like a happily married couple with no problems. As the investigation deepens, you quickly learn that the marriage has plenty of cracks. Nick has been an unfaithful partner, and Amy proves to be a sociopath.

Fincher, a filmmaker who amplifies humanity’s flaws in his movies, was the ideal director to adapt Flynn’s book. Given Affleck’s history in tabloid culture, Affleck was the ideal actor to play the disgraced husband, while Pike turns in a career-defining performance as Amy. While it’s probably not the best date-night movie, Gone Girl is a fantastic thriller and strong adaptation of a beloved novel.

More movies to check out

If you’re already on Netflix, one of the newest movies to hit the service is Hamnet, an emotional triumph about how parents deal with the loss of a child. As for classic movies, you can never go wrong with The Godfather Part II and L.A. Confidential.

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