Spanish thillers that I've watched
by juanpbotha | created - 05 Jan 2014 | updated - 26 Aug 2021 | PublicI have only recently discovered Spanish thrillers and I am an absolute fanatic. There are soooooo many talented Spanish filmmakers. I wish I could understand Spanish, but I have to watch the films with subtitles.
Included is a list of Spanish-language thrillers. If you know of any similar type Spanish films please let me know.
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1. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
R | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Votes: 703,361 | Gross: $37.63M
My rating: 9/10
2. The Hidden Face (2011)
R | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Shattered by the unexpected news of their irreversible break-up, an aspiring orchestra conductor is puzzled by his girlfriend's mysterious and seemingly inexplicable case of disappearance. But can he look beyond the facts?
Director: Andrés Baiz | Stars: Quim Gutiérrez, Martina García, María Soledad Rodríguez, Jose Luis Garcia
Votes: 46,326
My rating: 9/10
3. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 166,010 | Gross: $3.19M
My rating: 8/10
4. Sleep Tight (2011)
Not Rated | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cesar, a miserable man who works as an apartment concierge, takes a special interest in an attractive woman who lives there. He goes to great lengths to trouble her.
Director: Jaume Balagueró | Stars: Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Alberto San Juan, Petra Martínez
Votes: 46,726
My rating: 5/10
5. Julia's Eyes (2010)
Not Rated | 118 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The story of a woman who is slowly losing her sight whilst trying to investigate the mysterious death of her twin sister.
Director: Guillem Morales | Stars: Belén Rueda, Lluís Homar, Pablo Derqui, Francesc Orella
Votes: 37,442
My rating: 7/10
6. Eskalofrío (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Horror, Thriller
Santi, a young high-school student with a serious physical reaction to sunlight, is forced by his health to move with his single mother to a shadowy, isolated village in the mountains of ... See full summary »
Director: Isidro Ortiz | Stars: Junio Valverde, Francesc Orella, Mar Sodupe, Jimmy Barnatán
Votes: 3,483
My rating: 7/10
7. The Orphanage (2007)
R | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera
Votes: 163,678 | Gross: $7.16M
My rating: 8/10
8. Fermat's Room (2007)
Not Rated | 89 min | Mystery, Thriller
4 mathematicians are invited to solve an enigma. Once there, they're locked in a mechanically shrinking room and given 1 minute to solve each puzzle via cellphone while also figuring out why they're there.
Directors: Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopeña | Stars: Alejo Sauras, Elena Ballesteros, Lluís Homar, Santi Millán
Votes: 22,820
My rating: 7/10
9. Timecrimes (2007)
R | 92 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.
Director: Nacho Vigalondo | Stars: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo
Votes: 68,820 | Gross: $0.04M
My rating: 7/10
10. Kidnapped (2010)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Horror, Thriller
Three hooded Eastern-European criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage in its own home, and forcing the father to empty his credit cards.
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas | Stars: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellés, Ana Wagener, Guillermo Barrientos
Votes: 8,480
My rating: 8/10
11. Cell 211 (2009)
113 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot -- the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.
Director: Daniel Monzón | Stars: Luis Tosar, Alberto Ammann, Antonio Resines, Manuel Morón
Votes: 70,806
My rating: 7/10
12. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.
Director: Juan José Campanella | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Carla Quevedo
Votes: 222,543 | Gross: $6.39M
My rating: 9/10
13. The Aura (2005)
Not Rated | 134 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A deluded taxidermist plans the perfect crime.
Director: Fabián Bielinsky | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Manuel Rodal, Dolores Fonzi, Mariana Malamud
Votes: 14,756 | Gross: $0.06M
My rating: 6/10
14. The Uninvited Guest (2004)
R | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In the dark corridors of Félix's house, an intruder is hiding. Is he real, or is he a manifestation inside the obscure maze of his mind?
Director: Guillem Morales | Stars: Andoni Gracia, Mónica López, Francesc Garrido, Agustí Villaronga
Votes: 6,149
My rating: 6/10
15. The End (2012)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A group of old friends reunite for a weekend in a mountain cabin. Years have gone by, yet nothing seems to have changed among them. But lurking behind the laughter and stories is a murky ... See full summary »
Director: Jorge Torregrossa | Stars: Maribel Verdú, Daniel Grao, Clara Lago, Carmen Ruiz
Votes: 3,800
My rating: 7/10
16. The Body (2012)
Not Rated | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A detective searches for the body of a femme fatale which has gone missing from a morgue.
Director: Oriol Paulo | Stars: Jose Coronado, Hugo Silva, Belén Rueda, Aura Garrido
Votes: 72,523
My rating: 5/10
17. The Last Days (2013)
Unrated | 100 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In this terrifying apocalyptic horror, a mysterious epidemic like no other has swept across the globe, leaving chaos in its wake.
Directors: David Pastor, Àlex Pastor | Stars: Quim Gutiérrez, Jose Coronado, Marta Etura, Leticia Dolera
Votes: 9,012
My rating: 6/10
18. Thesis on a Homicide (2013)
106 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Roberto Bermudez, a specialist in criminal law, is convinced that one of his students committed a brutal murder. It leads him to start an investigation that becomes his obsession.
Director: Hernán Goldfrid | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Natalia Santiago, Alberto Ammann, Calu Rivero
Votes: 8,409
My rating: 6/10
19. Here Comes the Devil (2012)
Not Rated | 97 min | Horror, Thriller
A couple loses their children near some caves in Tijuana. The children return to their parents the next day, unharmed. However, something has happened to them.
Director: Adrian Garcia Bogliano | Stars: Laura Caro, Francisco Barreiro, Michele García, Alan Martínez
Votes: 4,454 | Gross: $0.00M
My rating: 5/10
20. Hierro (2009)
Not Rated | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After her son goes missing, a broken mother returns months later to the island of El Hierro to identify a body. She finds out her son is not the only one missing.
Director: Gabe Ibáñez | Stars: Elena Anaya, Bea Segura, Mar Sodupe, Andrés Herrera
Votes: 3,400
My rating: 5/10
21. Palabras encadenadas (2003)
89 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A mild-mannered psychopath plays mind-games with a woman he has tied to a chair in his basement.
Director: Laura Mañá | Stars: Darío Grandinetti, Goya Toledo, Fernando Guillén, Eric Bonicatto
Votes: 2,510
My rating: 7/10
22. Cannibal (2013)
Unrated | 116 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Carlos is the most prestigious tailor in Granada, but he's also a murderer in the shadows. He feels no remorse, no guilt, until Nina appears in his life and love awakens.
Director: Manuel Martín Cuenca | Stars: Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte, María Alfonsa Rosso, Florin Fildan
Votes: 3,648
My rating: 4/10
23. The 7th Floor (2013)
R | 88 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A father gets into a desperate search to find his children who disappeared while going down stairs from their apartment in the seventh floor.
Director: Patxi Amezcua | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Belén Rueda, Abel Dolz Doval, Charo Dolz Doval
Votes: 6,325
My rating: 5/10
24. The Night of the Sunflowers (2006)
123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The discovery of a mysterious cave coincides with the the murder of a young girl, causing a small town to fall into a cycle of violence, deception and greed in the search for the killer and whatever lies at the bottom of the cave.
Director: Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo | Stars: Carmelo Gómez, Judith Diakhate, Celso Bugallo, Manuel Morón
Votes: 2,975
My rating: 8/10
25. La hora fría (2006)
92 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
8-year-old Jesús has been living in a crumbling underground facility since he was born with eight survivors of an apocalyptic war: the leader Maria and her lover Pablo, gays Lucas and Mateo... See full summary »
Director: Elio Quiroga | Stars: Silke, Omar Muñoz, Pepo Oliva, Carola Manzanares
Votes: 1,977
My rating: 5/10
26. No Rest for the Wicked (2011)
Not Rated | 114 min | Crime, Thriller
A corrupt policeman commits a crime when drinking late at night. While his colleagues are trying to investigate his murder, he tries to clean up the evidence.
Director: Enrique Urbizu | Stars: Jose Coronado, Rodolfo Sancho, Helena Miquel, Juanjo Artero
Votes: 5,533
My rating: 6/10
27. The Devil's Backbone (2001)
R | 106 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve
Votes: 71,036 | Gross: $0.75M
My rating: 8/10
28. Marshland (2014)
TV-MA | 105 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Two cops lost in the deep south of Spain. One serial killer to catch. A lot of secrets and lies to disclose.
Director: Alberto Rodríguez | Stars: Javier Gutiérrez, Raúl Arévalo, María Varod, Perico Cervantes
Votes: 36,480
My rating: 6.5/10
29. Retribution (2015)
Not Rated | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A banker and his kids are held hostage in their own speeding car by a bomb-making extortionist.
Director: Dani de la Torre | Stars: Luis Tosar, Javier Gutiérrez, Elvira Mínguez, Fernando Cayo
Votes: 11,108
My rating: 3/10
30. Shrew's Nest (2014)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
1950s Madrid: The agoraphobic Montse raised her now 18 y.o. kid sister. The upstairs neighbor falls down the stairs and breaks a leg. The crazy Montse takes him in.
Directors: Juanfer Andrés, Esteban Roel | Stars: Macarena Gómez, Nadia de Santiago, Hugo Silva, Luis Tosar
Votes: 7,731
My rating: 6/10
31. The Fury of a Patient Man (2016)
TV-MA | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A hard-working single mother and wife of a getaway driver who is about to be released is approached by an unassuming and gentle man, completely unaware though of his inscrutable and utterly impelling motives.
Director: Raúl Arévalo | Stars: Antonio de la Torre, Luis Callejo, Ruth Díaz, Raúl Jiménez
Votes: 12,646
My rating: 7.5/10
32. Secuestro (2016)
105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When her boy's alleged kidnapper is released for lack of solid evidence, a reputable and well-known attorney takes matters into her own hands with unintended and spectacularly disastrous consequences.
Director: Mar Targarona | Stars: Blanca Portillo, Antonio Dechent, Vicente Romero, Marc Domènech
Votes: 9,719
My rating: 4/10
33. May God Save Us (2016)
TV-MA | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Inspectors Velarde and Alfaro must find what appears to be a serial killer. This hunt against the clock will make them realize something they'd never thought about: neither one of them is that different from the killer.
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen | Stars: Antonio de la Torre, Roberto Álamo, Javier Pereira, Luis Zahera
Votes: 12,302
My rating: 6.5/10
34. The Invisible Guest (2016)
TV-MA | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A successful entrepreneur accused of murder and a witness preparation expert have less than three hours to come up with an impregnable defense.
Director: Oriol Paulo | Stars: Mario Casas, Ana Wagener, Jose Coronado, Bárbara Lennie
Votes: 192,716
My rating: 8.5/10
35. The Nameless (1999)
R | 102 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
5 years after a mom's 6 y.o. girl is murdered, she gets a phone call from someone claiming to be the daughter. An ex cop and a reporter help. A secret group called The Nameless may be behind it all.
Director: Jaume Balagueró | Stars: Emma Vilarasau, Karra Elejalde, Tristán Ulloa, Toni Sevilla
Votes: 7,703
My rating: 6/10
36. The House at the End of Time (2013)
Unrated | 101 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Dulce is a mother of two who experiences terrifying encounters with apparitions inside her old house, a place where a tragedy occurs. Thirty years later, an elderly Dulce returns home to decipher the mystery that has tormented her for so long.
Director: Alejandro Hidalgo | Stars: Ruddy Rodríguez, Guillermo Garcia, Rosmel Bustamante, Gonzalo Cubero
Votes: 7,939
My rating: 7.5/10
37. At the End of the Tunnel (2016)
Not Rated | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A paraplegic computer engineer in a wheelchair starts hearing noises and voices of bank robbers in his basement.
Director: Rodrigo Grande | Stars: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Pablo Echarri, Clara Lago, Federico Luppi
Votes: 15,641
My rating: 7.5/10
38. The Silence of the Sky (2016)
102 min | Drama, Thriller
Shattered after the brutal assault by two rapists in her house, a young mother of two decides to keep her ordeal secret from her unsuspecting husband.
Director: Marco Dutra | Stars: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Carolina Dieckmann, Chino Darín, Alvaro Armand Ugon
Votes: 2,191
My rating: 6/10
This isn't nearly as much a thriller as it is a drama, but I've decided to include it in this list anyway as it has some elements of a thriller.
39. Magical Girl (2014)
127 min | Drama, Thriller
The father of a terminally ill girl is determined to grant his daughter's last wish, a ridiculously expensive collectors' costume from a Japanese TV series. The request will drive him into a journey within his city's dark underbelly.
Director: Carlos Vermut | Stars: José Sacristán, Marina Andruix, Raimundo de los Reyes, Lucía Pollán
Votes: 7,494
My rating: 5.5/10
Again, this isn't a true thriller, but more of a suspenseful drama.
40. The Invisible Guardian (2017)
129 min | Crime, Thriller
A female inspector confronts a serial killer while dealing with the ghosts of her past.
Director: Fernando González Molina | Stars: Marta Etura, Elvira Mínguez, 'Nene' Carlos Librado, Francesc Orella
Votes: 17,784
My rating: 8/10
I'd like to make a special mentioned of this film. It was much better than I expected. Even though it's a bit clichéd and has some loose ends in the plot, it's really entertaining in a suspenseful manner.
41. Son of Cain (2013)
90 min | Thriller
A wealthy Spanish family whose teenage son is very troubled, they hire a psychologist to help him, but nothing is what it seems like in the beginning.
Director: Jesús Monllaó | Stars: Julio Manrique, Jose Coronado, David Solans, Maria Molins
Votes: 857
My rating: 7.5/10
42. The Lost Brother (2017)
112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cetarti, a public employee who has just been fired, travels from Buenos Aires to Lapachito, a lonely town in the Chaco province. He must take care of the corpses of his mother and brother ... See full summary »
Director: Israel Adrián Caetano | Stars: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Daniel Hendler, Erasmo Olivera, Déborah Vidret
Votes: 1,816
My rating: 6/10
43. Mirage (2018)
TV-MA | 128 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Two storms separated by 25 years. A woman murdered. A daughter missed. Only 72 hours to discover the truth.
Director: Oriol Paulo | Stars: Adriana Ugarte, Chino Darín, Javier Gutiérrez, Álvaro Morte
Votes: 64,306
My rating: 8/10
44. Black Snow (2017)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Accused of killing his brother during adolescence, Salvador lives alone in the middle of Patagonia. Several decades later, his brother Marcos and his sister-in-law Laura, come to convince him to sell the lands they share by inheritance.
Director: Martín Hodara | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Laia Costa, Federico Luppi
Votes: 6,050
My rating: 3/10
45. Quien a hierro mata (2019)
TV-MA | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A drug dealer looking for rest. A nurse looking for revenge. A crossroads where no one is safe.
Director: Paco Plaza | Stars: Luis Tosar, Xan Cejudo, Ismael Martínez, Enric Auquer
Votes: 8,768
My rating: 5/10
46. Advantages of Travelling by Train (2019)
106 min | Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
Bizarre stories unfold surrounding the encounter of a woman and her husband's psychiatrist in a train.
Director: Aritz Moreno | Stars: Luis Tosar, Pilar Castro, Ernesto Alterio, Quim Gutiérrez
Votes: 3,280
My rating: 7.5/10
This isn't only a thriller. This is different genres mixed across one anthology of four stories with underlying sexual themes. Even though there are some really disturbing scenes, I enjoyed it.
47. The Summit (2017)
Not Rated | 114 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
At a summit for Latin American presidents in Chile where the region's geopolitical strategies and alliances are in discussion, Argentine president Hernán Blanco endures political and family drama that will force him to face his own demons.
Director: Santiago Mitre | Stars: Walter Andrade, Ricardo Darín, Dolores Fonzi, José María Marcos
Votes: 4,285
My rating: 7/10
48. The Platform (2019)
TV-MA | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A vertical prison with one cell per level. Two people per cell. Only one food platform and two minutes per day to feed. An endless nightmare trapped in The Hole.
Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia | Stars: Ivan Massagué, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San Juan, Emilio Buale
Votes: 272,930
My rating: 5.5/10
49. The Accused (2018)
TV-MA | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young student is the only one accused of the brutal murder of her best friend, a case that is excessively reported by the media. Cornered by the evidence, she must face her own doubts about what really happened.
Director: Gonzalo Tobal | Stars: Lali Espósito, Emilio Vodanovich, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Inés Estévez
Votes: 2,528
My rating: 7/10
50. Offering to the Storm (2020)
TV-MA | 139 min | Crime, Thriller
Inspector Amaia Salazar confronts the origins of her nightmares as she unfolds the darkest secrets of the Baztan valley.
Director: Fernando González Molina | Stars: Marta Etura, Leonardo Sbaraglia, 'Nene' Carlos Librado, Francesc Orella
Votes: 7,578
My rating: 4/10
51. Unknown Origins (2020)
TV-MA | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Madrid, 2019. A serial killer is spreading chaos. Anonymous people with no apparent connection are being murdered while imitating the first appearances of the most famous superheroes.
Director: David Galán Galindo | Stars: Javier Rey, Verónica Echegui, Brays Efe, Antonio Resines
Votes: 7,662
My rating: 5.5/10
52. The Legacy of the Bones (2019)
TV-MA | 121 min | Crime, Thriller
Inspector Amaia Salazar returns to the Baztán's valley for a new case, and this time even her loved ones won't be safe.
Director: Fernando González Molina | Stars: Marta Etura, 'Nene' Carlos Librado, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Francesc Orella
Votes: 10,233
My rating 7/10
53. The Innocent (2021)
TV-MA | 467 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An accidental killing leads a man down a dark hole of intrigue and murder. Just as he finds love and freedom, one phone call brings back the nightmare.
Stars: Mario Casas, Xavi Sáez, Santi Pons, Aura Garrido
Votes: 37,270
My rating 7/10
54. Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City (2019)
TV-MA | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A cop returns to the job. A serial killer too returns to the job.
Director: Daniel Calparsoro | Stars: Belén Rueda, Javier Rey, Aura Garrido, Manolo Solo
Votes: 6,200
My rating 5.5/10
55. Your Son (2018)
TV-MA | 103 min | Drama
When his son is sent to the hospital after being hit by strangers, a father tries to find them regardless of the consequences.
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas | Stars: Jose Coronado, Ana Wagener, Asia Ortega, Pol Monen
Votes: 5,683
My rating 7/10
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