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Best Thriller Movies

of the 1970s

The 20 highest-rated thriller movies released between 1970 and 1979, ranked by IMDb score.

1

Jaws(1975)

8.1 IMDb97% RT87 Meta

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate

2

Dog Day Afternoon(1975)

8 IMDb96% RT86 Meta

Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and

3

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion(1970)

8 IMDb100% RT89 Meta

Rome, Italy. After committing a heinous crime, a senior police officer exposes evidence incriminating him because his moral commitment prevents him from circumventing the law and the social order it p

4

Sleuth(1972)

7.9 IMDb89% RT

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

5

Le Cercle Rouge(1970)

7.9 IMDb96% RT92 Meta

When French criminal Corey gets released from prison, he resolves to never return. He is quickly pulled back into the underworld, however, after a chance encounter with escaped murderer Vogel. Along w

6

The Day of the Jackal(1973)

7.8 IMDb91% RT80 Meta

An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin’s trail.

7

Halloween(1978)

7.7 IMDb97% RT91 Meta

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.

8

The French Connection(1971)

7.7 IMDb97% RT94 Meta

Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.

9

Dirty Harry(1971)

7.7 IMDb89% RT87 Meta

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

10

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974)

7.6 IMDb98% RT68 Meta

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

11

Deliverance(1972)

7.6 IMDb90% RT80 Meta

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

12

Duel(1971)

7.6 IMDb89% RT81 Meta

Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat

13

The Warriors(1979)

7.5 IMDb88% RT65 Meta

Prominent gang leader Cyrus calls a meeting of New York's gangs to set aside their turf wars and take over the city. At the meeting, a rival leader kills Cyrus, but a Coney Island gang called the Warr

14

The Tenant(1976)

7.5 IMDb85% RT71 Meta

A quiet and inconspicuous man rents an apartment in Paris where he finds himself drawn into a rabbit hole of dangerous paranoia.

15

The Omen(1976)

7.5 IMDb86% RT62 Meta

Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn adopts the newborn Damien without the knowledge of his wife. Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.

16

Deep Red(1975)

7.5 IMDb94% RT89 Meta

An English pianist living in Rome witnesses the brutal murder of his psychic neighbor. With the help of a tenacious young reporter, he tries to discover the killer using very unconventional methods. T

17

Charley Varrick(1973)

7.5 IMDb82% RT76 Meta

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must

18

Carrie(1976)

7.4 IMDb94% RT86 Meta

Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dar

19

Rabid Dogs(1974)

7.4 IMDb88% RT

Following a bungled robbery, three violent criminals take a young woman, a middle-aged man, and a child hostage and force them to drive them outside Rome to help them make a clean getaway.

20

Caliber 9(1972)

7.4 IMDb

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 t

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