With the popularity of thrillers, mystery movies, and horror films on the rise, it seems that audiences are looking for suspense when going to the cinema. The publication Collider showcased some popular films chock-full of unease with a ranking of “the 10 most suspenseful movies of all time.”
The list, published in June 2026, featured stressful films like 2007’s Zodiac, Psycho from 1960, and 2009’sInglourious Basterds. Collider gave the title of “most suspenseful movie of all time” to the 2019 Safdie brothers-directed film Uncut Gems. According to the publication, the film, co-written by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, and Ronald Bronstein, treats viewers to a humorous but upsetting ride with plenty of bumps.
Josh Safdie Shared That a Real-Life Person Inspired the Character of Howard in ‘Uncut Gems’
The Safdie brothers discussed coming up with the idea for the film, which focuses on jeweler Howard (Adam Sandler), in a 2019 Entertainment Weekly roundtable. While sitting with his brother and the film’s stars, Sandler, Julia Fox, and Idina Menzel, Josh explained that Howard was loosely based on one of his father’s employers.
“The inspiration for the movie, I mean, we started with stories that our dad used to tell us. Our dad used to work for a guy who’s not not Howard, and he used to tell these pulp-like stories that we used to love hearing. They were also tense and funny,” said Josh during the interview.
During the Entertainment Weekly roundtable, Sandler shared that he spent time with jewelers and gamblers in New York City, with the Safdie brothers’ help, to prepare for the role of Howard.
“I went and studied. You guys hooked us up with getting the in out, in 47th Street. We got to know the block, got to do a lot of sitting there watching different jewelers sell stuff. They taught us the game a bit. And then gamblers became a big part of it, so you guys set us and me up, and all of us up, with hanging out with gamblers and watching games,” said Sandler to Josh and Benny.
