Best thriller Tamil movies in India
By the KyaDekhu team · Updated · Availability for India from JustWatch, ratings from IMDb
448 movies in India match this list, with an average IMDb rating of 6.2. Newest addition: Enna Vilai, added to Netflix on 15 Oct. Ranked by vote-weighted IMDb rating and popularity; showing the top 30.
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1. Jai Bhim (2021)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 44m · A · Crime, Drama · IMDb 8.6 (2.4L votes)
Dark & grittyEdge-of-seatSerious
A pregnant woman from a primitive tribal community, searches desperately for her husband, who is missing from police custody. So as to find her husband and seek justice for them, as their voice, a High Court advocate rises in support. Will their battle for justice succeed?
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2. Nayakan (1987)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 36m · A · Drama, Crime · IMDb 8.6 (28.3K votes)
MatureDark & grittyEdge-of-seatVisually stunning
Velu Naicker, who witnesses the brutal murder of his father, kills a corrupt policeman and escapes to Mumbai, only to become a gangster.
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3. Kaithi (2019)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 27m · UA · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.4 (53.1K votes)
Fast-pacedVisually stunningEdge-of-seatDark & gritty
Dilli, a convicted criminal, is out on parole to meet his daughter. However, a drug bust sets him off on a mission to save the life of police officers.
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4. Vikram (2022)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 54m · UA · Action, Crime · IMDb 8.3 (91.6K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seat
Amar is assigned to investigate a case of serial killings. When Amar investigates the case, he realizes it is not what it seems to be and following down this path will lead to nothing but war between everyone involved.
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5. Maharaja (2024)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 21m · UA · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.3 (86.6K votes)
TwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seatDark & gritty
A barber seeks vengeance after his home is burglarized, cryptically telling police his "Lakshmi" has been taken, leaving them uncertain if it's a person or object, jeer at his request until they learn what they're really looking for.
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6. Ratsasan (2018)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 50m · UA · Thriller, Crime · IMDb 8.3 (61.5K votes)
TwistyDark & grittyEdge-of-seatMature
A serial killer is murdering school girls, and a newbie cop has to track him down before the victim count increases.
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7. Asuran (2019)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 21m · UA · Action, Drama · IMDb 8.4 (37.9K votes)
Edge-of-seatDark & grittyVisually stunningMature
A family from the underprivileged class is on the run after the teenaged son kills a rich man from the upper caste. Can the pacifist father be able to save his hot-blooded son?
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8. Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 54m · UA · History, Action · IMDb 8.4 (29.2K votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatDark & gritty
When Sarpatta Parambarai is challenged to a do-or-die match, Kabilan, a young labourer, must choose whether to put on the gloves himself and lead his clan to victory, or be dissuaded by his disapproving mother and dangerous politics.
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9. Anniyan (2005)
Movie · Tamil · 3h 1m · U · Action, Drama · IMDb 8.4 (27.2K votes)
TwistyDark & grittyVisually stunningEdge-of-seat
Unable to tolerate society's injustices and devastated by rejection from the woman he loves, a meek lawyer develops a split personality: one side a vengeful vigilante killer punishing evildoers, the other a dashing playboy capable of winning her heart. Complications arise when the three sides begin to collide.
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10. Vikram Vedha (2017)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 27m · UA · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.2 (56.4K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatVisually stunningFast-paced
A notorious gangster Vedha surrenders himself to encounter specialist Vikram whom he challenges every step of the way by narrating his life events in the form of riddles that needs to be solved in order to capture him.
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11. Vada Chennai (2018)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 46m · A · Crime, Drama · IMDb 8.4 (25.0K votes)
TwistyVisually stunningMatureDark & gritty
Anbu, a young carrom player in North Chennai becomes inadvertently involved in an ongoing conflict between two local gangsters.
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12. Thani Oruvan (2015)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 39m · U · Thriller, Action · IMDb 8.4 (24.5K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatVisually stunningDark & gritty
An idealistic cop and an ambitious scientist-businessman indulge in a high-stake battle of wits.
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13. Thalapathi (1991)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 37m · UA · Action, Crime · IMDb 8.5 (16.3K votes)
Visually stunningDark & grittyEdge-of-seatHeartwarming
Surya, a courageous man who was raised in the slums, fights for the rights of the poor and befriends Deva, who hires him as his commander and changes his life completely.
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14. Thuppakki (2012)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 50m · U · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.1 (41.9K votes)
Fast-pacedEdge-of-seatVisually stunningDark & gritty
Captain Jagadish, an intelligence officer in the Indian Army, returns to Mumbai for a vacation but soon finds himself in a deadly mission. After witnessing a bus bombing, he uncovers a network of sleeper cells planning multiple attacks across the city. With no official backing, he embarks on a personal mission with his
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15. Kaththi (2014)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 47m · U · Action, Drama · IMDb 8.1 (33.5K votes)
Edge-of-seatVisually stunningTwistyDark & gritty
Kathiresan aka Kaththi, a criminal, escapes from the Kolkata prison and comes to Chennai, where he comes across his doppelganger Jeevanandham, fighting for his life after being shot at by unknown men. Kathir decides to pass off as Jeeva and make away with a lump sum amount but once he realizes who Jeeva really is, Kath
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16. Maanaadu (2021)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 27m · UA · Thriller, Action · IMDb 8.1 (28.2K votes)
TwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seatVisually stunning
A Muslim man, who is stuck in a time loop, has to stop a political rally from taking place in order to save the state's chief minister and prevent religious violence.
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17. Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 37m · UA · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.2 (20.0K votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatDark & grittyCold & detached
A hardnosed cop goes after a gang of ruthless dacoits who have been terrorising residents along the highway for a decade.
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18. Amaran (2024)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 49m · UA · Action, Drama · IMDb 8.1 (24.7K votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatHeartwarmingSerious
A heroic true story of Major Mukund Varadarajan, an Indian Army officer who displayed extraordinary bravery during a counterterrorism mission in Kashmir’s Shopian district. The film captures his courage in protecting his nation and the devotion of his wife Indhu Rebecaa Varghese.
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19. Baasha (1995)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 25m · U · Action, Crime · IMDb 8.3 (13.9K votes)
Edge-of-seatDark & gritty
Auto rickshaw driver Manickam avoids violence at all costs. When some thugs begin to intimidate Manickam's family, it triggers the revival of Manickam's old self.
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20. Vishwaroopam (2013)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 27m · UA · Action, Thriller · IMDb 7.9 (43.7K votes)
TwistyVisually stunningFast-pacedEdge-of-seat
Vishwanathan, a Kathak dance teacher in New York, is happy in his marriage with Nirupama, a nuclear oncologist who married him to pursue higher studies in the USA. Deciding to cut ties with her husband, Nirupama hires a private detective to monitor his activities. To her utter shock, certain truths about her husband ar
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21. Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016)
Movie · Tamil · 1h 46m · UA · Thriller, Action · IMDb 8.1 (19.4K votes)
TwistyCold & detachedEdge-of-seatDark & gritty
A former cop looks back on the case which left him disabled and forced him to quit the force.
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22. Jigarthanda (2014)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 50m · UA · Music, Crime · IMDb 8.2 (15.0K votes)
TwistyFunnyFast-pacedEdge-of-seat
A budding director endeavors to research a merciless gangster for making a film on gangsterism. But his secret attempts to conduct the research fail when he gets caught for snooping.
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23. Karnan (2021)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 32m · UA · Drama, Action · IMDb 8.0 (25.4K votes)
Dark & grittyVisually stunningMatureEdge-of-seat
Karnan, an angry young man, fights for the rights of his oppressed people. Can he save them from those who wield power and weapons?
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24. Pudhupettai (2006)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 59m · Action, Drama · IMDb 8.4 (9.9K votes)
MatureFast-pacedCold & detachedEdge-of-seat
The story of ‘Kokki’ Kumar, a carefree teenager from a Chennai slum who runs away from home in the wake of his mother’s death, gets recruited into a local gang and quickly evolves into the dreaded, psychotic right-hand man of a dirty politician.
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25. Soodhu Kavvum (2013)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 18m · U · Comedy, Thriller · IMDb 8.2 (13.7K votes)
FunnyTwistyFast-pacedCold & detached
Dass specialises in small time kidnapping and has his own set of rules. The primary and most important among them is not to get involved with influential people. Three jobless youngsters meet Dass and the four take up an assignment for a hefty sum that throws away this primary rule and end up being chased by a dreaded
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26. Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 17m · U · Drama, War · IMDb 8.3 (11.0K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyDark & grittyEdge-of-seat
A little girl is told by her parents that she is adopted. Determined to find her birth mother, her family eventually agrees to take her to Sri Lanka, where they encounter the militant group known as the Tamil Tigers.
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27. Indian (1996)
Movie · Tamil · 3h 5m · U · Drama, Action · IMDb 8.1 (16.3K votes)
Edge-of-seatDark & grittyTwistyVisually stunning
Senapathy, an ex-freedom fighter, is angry. He is angry against the rampant corruption at every level of the bureaucracy. He will clean it up at any cost.
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28. Roja (1992)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 17m · U · Drama, Action · IMDb 8.1 (15.0K votes)
Edge-of-seatHeartwarmingVisually stunning
Roja, a simple girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, makes desperate efforts to find her husband, Rishi, after he is kidnapped by militants during a secret undercover mission in Kashmir.
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29. 24 (2016)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 44m · U · Action, Science Fiction · IMDb 7.9 (27.4K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatFast-paced
Scientist turned Entrepreneur Dr. Sethuraman tries to safeguard his newly invented time travel device from falling into the hands of his Evil Twin Brother Aathreya.
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30. Viduthalai: Part I (2023)
Movie · Tamil · 2h 26m · A · Action, Thriller · IMDb 8.1 (12.3K votes)
TwistyMatureVisually stunningEdge-of-seat
Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.
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