Take a look at these Indian psychological thrillers that blur reality and illusion. From haunting scenes to the mind-twisting plots, each film explores fear, guilt, obsession, and more.
According to the official production notes from Paramount Pictures, Vicious is an upcoming psychological horror film starring Dakota Fanning as Polly, a woman whose life spirals into terror after receiving a mysterious box from a stranger late one night. The only instruction that comes with it is chillingly simple: place three things inside, something you need, something you hate, and something you love.
While the premise sounds deceptively small, what unfolds is far from ordinary. As Polly follows the instructions, her world begins to twist in disturbing ways. Reality fractures, memories blur, and she finds herself in an ever-tightening web of psychological horror. What begins as curiosity soon turns into survival as Polly faces not only an external evil but also the darkness within her own mind.
The film is directed by Bryan Bertino, known for The Strangers, and produced by Richard Suckle and Bertino himself. The supporting cast includes Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott, and Emily Mitchell, each playing a part in what is rumored to be a story full of tension and emotional depth.
Though we do not know the full scope of the plot yet, Vicious is being described as a psychological descent that plays with the ideas of guilt, grief, and the human need for control. Early discussions around the project suggest that it may rely more on atmosphere and emotion than traditional jump scares, making it one of the most anticipated thrillers of the season.
Vicious releases on October 10, 2025, and will remain in theaters through early 2026. Based on available information, it appears to combine Bryan Bertino’s signature psychological tension with Dakota Fanning’s emotional range, setting the stage for a gripping and haunting cinematic experience.
Based on official Paramount Pictures production notes and publicly available information.
Actress Shivangi Verma is set to surprise audiences in her new web series Yeh Hai Sanak, a psychological thriller that promises to be as unpredictable as it is gripping opposite actor Sharad Malhotra.
Shivangi Verma Calls Yeh Hai Sanak A ‘Psychological Maze’
Talking about what drew her to the story, Shivangi shared, “The moment I heard the concept, I knew this wasn’t just another story…it was a psychological maze. Yeh Hai Sanak had the kind of layers that even while reading I couldn’t predict what’s coming next. That’s the thrill that made me say yes.”
The title itself hints at intrigue, and for Shivangi, it captures the true essence of the show. She said, “For me…it’s suspense wrapped inside suspense wrapped again in another suspense. Just when you think you’ve figured it out…the show flips the game. It’s madness but of the clever kind,”.
For an actor known largely for television, the shift to OTT has been refreshing. “Television often gives you black or white shades but here I live in the greys. My character isn’t predictable, you’ll never know if I’m two steps ahead or ten. That unpredictability is my biggest shift from TV,” she explained.
Shivangi also described her character in the series as one who thrives on the mind games. “It’s the mind…plays with situations and people so smoothly that till the very last moment nobody can tell what the next move is,” she revealed. Preparing for the role, she admitted, was more mental than physical. “I had to train myself to think five steps ahead while delivering lines that feel natural. The art was in keeping the suspense alive even in silence,” she said.
Shivangi Verma On Her Excitement And Working With The Team
Balancing excitement with challenge was key to her performance. “The excitement was in the unpredictability…every script reading felt like a puzzle. The challenge was to never reveal too much…to keep the audience constantly guessing. To me, that balance is the true test of an actor,” she added.
Working with the team was another highlight for her. “The team was brilliant because they trusted the madness of the script. My most memorable moments were when even the crew who knew the script would get shocked watching us perform! That’s when you know the show is working. Working with Sharad was absolutely fun.”
She further added, “I remember when we did the scenes where we have to hit people and we are getting punched at the same time so being in the character and laughing from inside was so much fun and also with Ankit when the weather was crazy, and still, we need to perform as if it was not raining (laughs). These moments will be cherished. I’ll always remember,”.
Some moments also pushed her beyond her comfort zone. “Yes, there was a scene where I had to mask about six emotions in one expression because my character couldn’t let anyone see what he was really feeling. It taught me that acting isn’t always about showing, it’s also about hiding,” she shared.
For Shivangi, OTT has transformed the craft itself. “Definitely. OTT gives us the liberty to explore complexity. You don’t need to spoon feed the audience…they love decoding,” she pointed out.
About Yeh Hai Sanak
As for what will hook audiences to Yeh Hai Sanak, she said, “The unpredictability and the suspense…Viewers love to play detective but here just when they think they’ve solved the riddle the story flips again. That’s the hook, it’s suspense within suspense within suspense all the till the end.”
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Also Read: 70-year-old Govvind Namdev is dating 31-year-old Shivangi Verma? OMG actor says, “Iss jaman me to…”
Life has a different plan though, with other men seemingly smelling the weakness in him, and making it their mission to make his life miserable. When John’s fight or flight response is triggered in a park, he runs for it, leaving a poor woman – and his own child, for that matter – in his dust as he belts it down the road. While he does later return to retrieve his daughter, the shock of the whole thing sparks him to keep running… all the way to rural Scotland.
With his family moving to the quaint and quiet village of Coldwater, it feels like a fresh start. Bible-bashing neighbours Tommy (Ewen Bremner) and Rebecca (Eve Myles) welcome them into their home and the community. While his sex life with Fiona has still hit a road block, it’s a start.
But then he runs into a local yob in an off-licence, and it all goes wrong again. No escaping the bad guys for John – they’re everywhere.
When said local yob, Angus, later turns violent with John during a run-in on a late-night jog, a chain of events leaves Angus dead, John a shrivelling wreck, and new best mate Tommy his guardian angel. At least, that’s what he thinks. Turns out his scariest bad guy comes with a wide grin, a woollen jumper, and a more-than-slight obsession with serial killers.
The incident triggers something in both Tommy and John alike, and soon the pair are in a battle of wits for control over the other. As Tommy, Ewan Bremner is deliciously creepy – played perfectly as the women around him pick up on it immediately, but with enough subtlety that men dismiss it as “just what he’s like”.
On the flip side, Andrew Lincoln is perfectly cast as John, a man emasculated from life and in need of some kind, ANY kind, of win. Most will know Lincoln as strong Walking Dead leading man, Rick Grimes, and you can sense that ability in John – he just can’t, or won’t, unlock it in himself, beaten down and depressed.
Psychological thrillers have a knack sometimes of falling into the trap of having their characters make stupid decisions or cliché moves – ”Don’t go to the police!” “Go down that dark garden path!” “Let’s open this spooky door” – but in Coldwater, writer David Ireland justifies everything down to the tiniest detail, backing the mousey John into a corner.
But it’s also why I love the women of the show, who make perfect partners for their male counterparts. Fiona is the breadwinner and strong-willed, not taking fools gladly and not easily deceived. Before anything even goes wrong, she doesn’t trust Tommy – and he can sense that, keeping him on edge. This trait also explains her growing frustration with her husband, who’s so willing to take someone’s lead it almost doesn’t matter who that someone is.
Meanwhile Eve Myles’ is deliciously deceptive as the pastor who everyone adores. Warm and inviting to everyone, there’s a hidden side to everything she does that’s just waiting to come out – she’s not even Christian, openly admitting to Fiona being atheist. It just proves how good she is at lying, something that will come in handy down the line.
There’s certainly some gripes to have with Coldwater, every now and again doing something so wild it throws you out of the realistic world that’s been created, and sometimes edging over the thrilling-ridiculous line in the wrong direction. But it does pull itself back when it needs to, creating a show that is all too easy to want more of.
Coldwater is the kind of thriller that keeps you in a chokehold from the opening moments of the first episode, and refuses to let go until the end.
By the end of the series, you’ll be left struggling to breathe… and that’s just where creator David Ireland wants you.
Coldwater is available now on ITVX.
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[This story contains spoilers from The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.]
Navy SEAL brother and loyal friend Raife Hastings, played by Tom Hopper, quickly surmises there are no brakes applied regarding his team brother, Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), in the fourth episode of Prime Video’s prequel series Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
In “The Sound of the Guns,” Edwards has already broken his promise to his brother-in-arms that the takedown of Iraqi assassin-for-hire Danawi would be enough to get some type of revenge for killing their Iraqi sergeant and asset in Mosul (during the first episode), and then move on with their dishonorable discharged lives. But now the audience has discovered that the two former SEALS are in even deeper with black ops agent Jed Haverford (Robert Wisdom) and his team, as they plan to stop a multimillion-dollar deal that will help put Iran closer to its goal of developing their own nuclear weapons. Hastings is not feeling it, and he can see that Edwards is even more enthralled to go along for the espionage ride, instead of their original agreement to kill Danawi and move on.
Haverford has assembled his team, which includes Edwards and Hastings, in Germany to intercept the handoff of the real bearings in exchange for giving Iran fake ones. But the plan goes severely awry when Hastings’ and Edwards’ planned ambush of the convoy is interrupted by German intelligence officers in a surprise attack, leaving their members wounded and in need of a retreat. And then there is one big betrayal by a Haverford team members that adds even more peril to the surprised ambush. Who saw this coming? Hastings did, of course.
Hastings seems to have a sixth sense that all is not what it appears in the world of black ops, but he is loyal to his SEAL brother and will ride out this dangerous game until Edwards hopefully comes to his senses and says he has had enough. It’s becoming clear, however, that Edwards has found his element, even if Hastings has not.
The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with British Game of Thrones actor Hopper to talk more in depth about his Raife Hastings, how he operates in a world of war, what loyalty looks like among Navy SEAL brothers and which is harder: SEAL training or defying a queen and her fire-breathing dragon?
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I have to ask: Which was harder, being consumed in flames by a dragon [Hopper’s Dickon Tarly, son of Randyll Tarly, refused to bend the knee to the Dragon Queen on Game of Thrones], or training as a Navy Seal and CIA operative for this Terminal List prequel series?
(Laughs.) The stunt guys did a lot of the work for being burned by a dragon, and a lot of that was CGI. So that was a lot easier. The work you put in to be a Navy SEAL is much more in depth. I would be remiss to not say anything about the amount of work that those guys put in to make us look authentic. It’s a constant state of making sure we were doing the right thing on Terminal List to be a legitimate Navy SEAL. So I would have to give it to the Navy SEALs.
Would it be safe to say that Raife Hastings was already connected to the CIA in some way before he and Edwards got kicked out and involved in the espionage business throughout Europe?
Well, actually, Raife is not linked to them at all really. He is very aware of the agency because they had operations where he’s from in Mozambique, and he has seen his family go through some tough times; they used to operate with the CIA and his dad was in the South African Special Forces. So there’s an awareness, but he is certainly not involved with them.
What are some similar personality traits that you share with Hastings? And how are you two different?
He’s certainly much calmer in those crazy heightened situations than I would be. Raife’s nickname is “Mtulivu,” which means “the calm one” [in Swahili]. He always has this very cool head in any situation. No matter how crazy the firefight is, he’s able to keep a cool head for his men around him and deliver information to keep them safe in a very calm manner, which is what he is known for. I’m not as calm, but Jared Shaw is one of our executive producers and one of the [former] Navy SEALs who teaches all of us how to operate accordingly and authentically, and I take a lot from Jared for Raife. Jared has a constant calmness about how crazy the day is. No matter how crazy the action is, he’s got this cool head. I take a lot of inspiration from the way he is in situations.
But our similarities, like Raife, I’m incredibly loyal. We are extremely loyal to our brothers; anyone who I consider a teammate I will do anything for. I will throw myself in front of a bus for people like my family, my children and my wife. They are my day-to-day team, and my extended family, I’ll do anything for them. And that’s who Raife is. He considers the brothers around him like family. Tthe way he operates with his teammates is who I could relate to.
What drew you to the role of Hastings?
There were a few things. I was a big fan of the books. I had come across Jack Carr [Terminal List author] previously in the years before; so I was a big fan of the books and Jack’s work. I think what’s so special about Terminal List is the group of people behind it; the authenticity that comes with it and the challenge of our show. What we do on Terminal List is so huge and the show is so ambitious, I sometimes wonder how we do what we’ve done in the time frames and resources we have available. It’s incredible! What I always look for in anything I’m doing, in terms of a job, is my next big challenge. And this is a huge challenge for me.
Because they had the books, and because the character is already kind of established with the fanbase from the books, it was a huge responsibility for me to adhere to that and make sure I’m doing him justice. Raife is a popular character; so, for me to go on there and deliver him as a live-action character was extremely important and a challenge I relished. I only hope I’ve done it justice for the fans of the books.
Raife Hastings (Tom Hopper) and Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch), left, in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
Prime Video
What were some of the toughest scenes to shoot, physically or mentally, that made you realize all over again why you love what you do as an actor?
The physical stuff, I always find that’s a little bit more less tiring; you keep more energy up when you’re doing the physical stuff. The psychologically straining stuff is more demanding, like taking your mental state to a very dark place.
Some of the scenes I have to do, where there’s a torture element to the show, one of the things I like about Raife’s character is that he is not fundamentally like that, but he’s able to take himself there. And that’s what’s so beautiful about some of these SEALs — they are not like those people, but there’s a side to them that, if they need to, if they have to, if the moment requires it and the job requires it, they can go to the darkest places you could imagine as a human. That is what Raife seems to do, it’s that switch between dark wolf and light wolf. If you’re a light wolf, you’re able to walk around civilian life and be a very humble, normal nice person. When you need to turn on that dark wolf, you are able to turn that switch.
And those scenes are challenging because you have to take yourself, as the actor, to that place. Jared was so instrumental in that for me because he would come and talk in my ear quietly when I had to get to that place and talk me through it. And as an actor, that’s the challenge to go there mentally and take yourself where they would have to get to, and to play that out authentically.
Do you think Hastings or Ewards begin to feel a sense of disloyalty to each other in their brotherhood as the series carries on?
Well, there’s a gray area. I don’t think either of them were disloyal to each other. I think they approach the mission from a very different standpoint. Raife says something that is very important for that relationship,: “Some men will go to war to fight the enemy, and others will go to war to fight themselves.” I think the reason Ben is fighting this is because he’s fighting something greater. He wants to go and fight because he’s fighting something deeper and he’s convincing himself he’s fighting for that right cause. Raife just sees it differently: This is not what we signed up in the teams for, thi is something deeper and something that I’m not interested in fighting — this is not our fight. We’re being used as pawns in a much bigger chess game here.
It’s like a marriage, right? When you’re looking at a problem and you’re trying to keep it together, but you’re both trying to fix it from a completely different avenue. It’s going to fall apart. That’s what this is, it is two warriors fighting for very different reasons.
I know you will be working on the next season of Terminal List, what else is on your plate?
There are a few things. One of the things that I just finished, which will be coming out next year, is a movie called Better, which myself and my wife, Laura [TK], produced with our producing partners, Dash Productions. It’s a thriller where I play identical twins. Talk about challenges! When I read that script, it was like, “This is what I want to do next!” We just wrapped on that and it was a huge challenge, but one that came off brilliantly. We were really pleased with how the movie turned out, and I think audiences will love it.
And we’re right in the middle of shooting Terminal List, the second season.
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The Terminal List: Dark Wolf is now streaming its first four episodes on Prime Video, with new episodes releasing on Wednesdays. Read THR’s interview with star Taylor Kitsch and showrunner David DiGilio.
Outdoors Survival Psychological Thriller ‘The Wilderness’ Film Trailer
by Alex Billington
August 20, 2025
Source: YouTube
“Discipline, trust, faith… These are all pillars of a successful young man.” Dark Star Pictures has unveiled the official trailer for an intriguing survival thriller titled The Wilderness, based on a true story, made by filmmaker Spencer King. Executive produced by Aaron Paul, this is set to hit theaters nationwide in October this fall. Kidnapped and abandoned in the Utah desert, a group of troubled boys are forced into a ruthless “Wilderness Therapy” program. Cut off entirely from the world, they must survive both the elements and the mind games of a director who may not be trying to save them at all. What is this survival program really about? Looks like some religious thing that they force upon people to break them down. Based on real life experiences by writer / director Spencer King. The Wilderness stars Lamar Johnson, Hunter Doohan, Liana Liberato, Sean Avery, Vinessa Shaw, Sam Jaeger, Aaron Holliday, Matt Gomez-Hidaka, & James Le Gros. This certainly looks compelling and unsettling, I hope these kids find a safe way home.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Spencer King’s film The Wilderness, direct from YouTube:
A group of troubled teenage boys are kidnapped from their homes and taken out deep into the unforgiving Utah desert, where they are forced into a brutal and secretive “Wilderness Therapy” program. With no contact with the outside world or any other support, their only way home is to earn the approval of the enigmatic program director—whose motives are far from therapeutic. As the line between rehabilitation and manipulation blurs, the boys must decide whether to survive the program or escape it. The Wilderness is written and directed by American indie filmmaker Spencer King, director of the films Black Petunia and Time Now previously. Produced by Aaron Paul, Amy Berg, Larissa Beck, Lily Blavin, Hunter Doohan, Ali Edwards, & Spencer King. This hasn’t premiered at any festivals, as far as we know. Dark Star opens King’s The Wilderness thriller in US theaters nationwide starting October 17th, 2025 this fall. Want to watch it?
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