Best Thriller Movies of 1972

The highest-rated thriller films from 1972, ranked by MovieMagicScore based on authentic viewer ratings.

Thriller 1971 Thriller 1973 All Time Thriller

Action Comedy Drama Horror Science Fiction Romance Animation Documentary Fantasy Crime

Sleuth

1972

A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.

7.7

Deliverance

1972

Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

7.3

Fist of Fury

1972

Chen Chen returns to his former school in Shanghai when he learns that his beloved instructor has been murdered. While investigating the man's death, Chen discovers that a rival Japanese school is operating a drug smuggling ring. To avenge his master’s death, Chen takes on both Chinese and Japanese assassins… and even a towering Russian.

7.2

Frenzy

1972

London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.

7.1

Caliber 9

1972

Just out of prison, ex-con Ugo Piazza meets his former employer, a psychopathic gangster Rocco who enjoys sick violence and torture. Both the gangsters and the police believe Ugo has hidden $300,000 that should have gone to an American drug syndicate boss. Caliber 9 is the first part in Di Leo's "Milieu" Trilogy of poliziotteschi films. It was followed by "The Italian Connection" (1972) and "The Boss" (1973).

7.5

The Poseidon Adventure

1972

When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.

7.1

The Getaway

1972

A recently released ex-convict and his loyal wife go on the run after a heist goes wrong.

7.1

Slap the Monster on Page One

1972

Days before the general election, after a girl from a rich family is murdered in an attempted rape, the editor-in-chief of a conservative tabloid tries to derail the police investigation in order to help the right-wing candidates supported by his bosses.

7.6

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril

1972

Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.

7.3

#10

State of Siege

1972

Using the interrogation of a US counterinsurgency agent as a backdrop, the film explores the consequences of the struggle between Uruguay's government and the leftist Tupamaro guerrillas.

7.2

#11

Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701

1972

After being cruelly set up and deceived by Sugimi, a detective in cahoots with the mob with whom she was whole-heartedly in love, Matsushima’s desire for revenge knows no bounds.

7.0

#12

The Night Stalker

1972

Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into his own hands.

6.9

#13

Images

1972

While holidaying in Ireland, a pregnant children's author finds her mental state becoming increasingly unstable, resulting in paranoia, hallucinations, and visions of a doppelgänger.

6.8

#14

The Mechanic

1972

Arthur Bishop is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks himself an artist. It's made him very rich, but as he hits middle age, he's so depressed and lonely that he takes on one of his victim's sons, Steve McKenna, as his apprentice. Arthur puts him through a rigorous training period and brings him on several hits. As Steven improves, Arthur worries that he'll discover who killed his father.

6.7

#15

Across 110th Street

1972

In a daring robbery, some $300,000 is taken from the Italian mob. Several mafiosi are killed, as are two policemen. Lt. Pope and Capt. Mattelli are two New York City cops trying to break the case. Three small-time criminals are on the run with the money. Will the mafia catch them first, or will the police?

6.7

#16

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times

1972

After the death of their grandfather, two sisters inherit their family castle, which is said to be haunted by the Red Queen, whom legend says claims seven lives every hundred years. When a mysterious woman in a red cloak starts targeting their circle of friends, the sisters begin to suspect there might be some truth to the legend.

6.7

#17

What Have You Done to Solange?

1972

After several Catholic school pupils are murdered, a teacher who is having an affair with one of his students becomes a suspect. When other gruesome murders start occurring shortly thereafter, the teacher suspects that he may be the cause of them.

6.7

#18

A Cop

1972

A Parisian police chief has an affair, but unbeknownst to him, the boyfriend of the woman he’s having an affair with is a bank robber planning a heist.

6.6

#19

All the Colours of the Dark

1972

After a car accident that caused the loss of her baby, Jane experiences an increasing amount of nightmares that shake her to her core. After seeking professional help, her haunting visions turn into an even more frightening reality, one full of black magic, blood orgies, and murder.

6.6

#20

Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key

1972

Oliviero is a drunk, burned-out writer who amuses himself by hosting orgies at his grand country manor and humiliating his wife Irina. When a number of women are murdered in grisly fashion, Oliviero becomes a prime suspect.

6.5

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Best Thriller Movies of 1972

This ranking features the top thriller movies released in 1972, sorted by MovieMagicScore viewer ratings. Looking for more? Browse all genres from 1972 or see the best thriller movies of all time.