3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (November 16-22)

Published Nov 15, 2026, 6:00 PM EST After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. One of Netflix's best assets is its range. Variety is the spice of life, and Netflix in the U.S. has thousands of movies in a wide range of genres. If you want to laugh, head to the comedy section and watch 21 Jump Street or The Other Guys. If you want to watch a classic that will leave you in tears, check out Field of Dreams or The Deer Hunter. For the purposes of this article, thrillers are on my mind. My first pick is an overlooked independent crime drama starring a future X-Men star. Next up is a horror maestro's most underrated film. As for my top selection, it's a new mystery drama starring one of Hollywood's most prestigious actresses. 3 Carolina Caroline Modern-day Bonnie and Clyde If you don't know it by name, learn the name Samara Weaving. The 34-year-old Australian actress—it's scary how similar Weaving is to Margot Robbie—has carved out a name in the horror genre in Mayhem, The Babysitter, or my favorite performance from her, Ready or Not. Weaving's star power is set to grow after being cast as Emma Frost in Marvel's upcoming X-Men movie. It also helps to be a good actress, and Weaving is just that. Before entering the world of superheroes, Weaving starred in 2026's Carolina Caroline, an underrated crime thriller from director Adam Rehmeier, who helmed the delightful coming-of-age movie Snack Shack. Weaving stars as Caroline Daniels, a gas station employee working in small-town Texas. Caroline meets con artist Oliver Anderson (Kyle Gallner) and is instantly smitten. Not only does she fall for him, but she's also captivated by his schemes. Simple scams eventually become bank robberies. Naturally, Caroline enjoys the adrenaline rush and targets bigger scores. Like Bonnie & Clyde and True Romance, Carolina Caroline explores a romance between criminals. However, Carolina Caroline is a sexier, more seductive version of the cursed romance between criminals. Whatever qualities you associate with a movie star, Weaving has them. This scream queen is ready to take of 2 Hush Don't make a sound Mike Flanagan is one of the leading voices in the horror genre. Flanagan specializes in atmospheric and supernatural horror, as seen in television shows like The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and Carrie. He's become a reliable hand at adapting Stephen King's novels. Before becoming one of horror's leading voices, Flanagan made his mark in movies, and one of his earliest entries is Hush, a unique take on a slasher movie. Kate Siegel (Flanagan's wife in real life) stars as Maddie Young, a reclusive author who is unable to speak or hear. Maddie now lives alone in the woods, where she struggles to write her next novel. Her night is interrupted by a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.), who soon learns about Maddie's hearing and speech impairments. The rest of the night becomes a cat-and-mouse thriller as Maddie makes several escape attempts while the killer stalks her every move. Hush is a fresh spin on the home-invasion thriller. Flanagan skillfully chooses when to enhance the sound and when to cut it completely. Siegel is a memorable final girl in this lean 81-minute thriller. Truthfully, it's probably my favorite Flanagan movie. Hush Release Date April 8, 2016 1 Heartland Country music gets dark Whenever an Oscar-winning actress stars in a thriller, I'm going to pay attention. When that actress is Jessica Chastain, I'm especially interested. Chastain can do it all. She's perfectly capable of starring in major productions like Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar, and The Martian. She can also excel in critically acclaimed dramas, like The Tree of Life and A Most Violent Year. Now, Chastain is headlining Heartland, an intriguing mystery movie from Country Strong director Shana Feste. Misty Jones (Chastain) was once at the top of the country music world. However, Misty has been out of the spotlight for a while, electing to live as a recluse. Misty's niece, rising country star Charlie Heart (Carter Faith), goes missing, forcing Misty out of isolation. She heads back to the center of country music—Nashville. Unable to rely on the local authorities, Misty conducts her own investigation, suspecting that Charlie's record executive (Garrett Hedlund) and boyfriend (Ross Lynch) might know something. Whenever I think of country music, I picture day-drinking parties and good times. Heartland subverts those expectations by bringing a noir sensibility to the country music hot spot. There is certainly a bit of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone in Heartland. It's a melodramatic neo-Western with shootouts, plot twists, and secrets. At the center of it all is Chastain, who is more than capable of carrying this type of movie. Heartland Release Date November 13, 2026 Director Shana Feste Writers Shana Feste Check out other shows and movies on streaming While Netflix is an excellent streaming service, there are other platforms with intriguing options. Apple TV has a new movie from CODA's Siân Heder. It's called Being Heumann, a biopic about disability rights activist Judy Heumann. Plus, football fans should head to HBO Max for a terrific documentary about Kordell Stewart. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four