Obsession is an irrational and continuing attachment or fixation towards someone, something, or an idea. It refers to an intense focus and preoccupation that consumes one’s thoughts and emotions and can be difficult to shake or control. Various factors, such as fear, anxiety, jealousy, love, or a desire for control, among others, can drive obsessions.
There are various movies that explore this particular aspect of human nature, where someone is obsessed with some person or something. The reason can be anything like lifestyle, past experience, etc. The movie which is mentioned here has everything that, including suspense, thrill, and unexpected twists and turns.
The movie based on this concept has been in the making since the 1960s. This covers varied genres such as horror, thriller, romantic, or a mixture of all of them. Here is the list of 35 movies that definitely fits well in the list of best movies based on obsession.
1. Obsessed
Obsessed is an American psychological thriller film released in 2009. The movie follows the story of an asset manager and his stalker. Derek is happily married to his wife, Sharon, but his life takes a turn when a temp worker begins to follow him aggressively, finally leading to an obsession.
Derek must fight her dangerous actions to protect his marriage and family. The movie shows how far an obsession can reach. The film explores the themes of jealousy and the causes of obsession.
- Director: Steve Shill
- Writer: David Loughery
- Stars: Beyonce, Idris Elba, Ali Larte
- Where to watch: Netflix
2. The Girl On The Train
“The Girl on the Train” is an American mystery thriller film released in 2016. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Paula Hawkins. The movie follows the story of a divorcee named Rachel Watson who takes the same train every day, during which she becomes fixated on a seemingly perfect couple, Scott and Megan Hipwell, who live in a house that she passes by.
However, her life is thrown into chaos when Megan goes missing and is later found dead, and Rachel becomes involved in the police investigation of the murder. As she dives deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a web of lies and deceit and must face her own demons as she tries to piece together the truth. The film explored themes of obsession, addiction, and redemption and was well-received by audiences and critics alike.
- Director: Tate Taylor
- Writer: Erin Cressida Wilson, Paula Hawkins
- Stars: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson
- Where to watch: Netflix
3. The Perfect Guy
The Perfect Guy is an American thriller film released in 2015. The movie follows the story of a successful lobbyist Leah Vaughn who came into a relationship with a perfect man after her painful breakup with her ex-boyfriend. This new guy is too good to be true, and Leah feels blessed after meeting such a guy.
However, as their relationship grows, the dark side of carter comes to light, and his controlling behaviors become a problem for Leah. As time passes, Carter’s obsession increases and reaches a dangerous level where Leah now has a fear of safety. The movie explores the themes of domestic abuse in the shadows of love and a perfect caring partner.
- Director: David M. Rosenthal
- Writer: Alan B. McElroy, Tyger Williams
- Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut
- Where to watch: Netflix
4. The Boy Next Door
“The Boy Next Door” is a psychological thriller film released in 2015. The movie follows the story of a school teacher Claire Peterson played by Jennifer Lopez. After going through a harsh breakup with her husband, she finds herself very alone and finds a companion in a charming young name named Noah, who recently moved to her neighborhood.
However, their affair takes a dangerous turn when Noah starts manipulating and stalking her and putting her family at risk. Claire must find a way to protect herself and her family before it’s too late. The film explores themes of obsession and dangerous relationships.
- Director: Rob Cohen
- Writer: Barbara Curry
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
5. Fear
Fear is an American psychological thriller film released in 1996. The movie follows the story of a teenage girl who falls for a young man who seems to be a perfect guy. But as the story is unleashed, she finds him extremely controlling and abusive.
When she tries to end this toxic relationship, then he shows his true colors. His unstable behavior becomes a security threat for her and her loved ones. She must protect her from his crazy obsession. The movie explores the psyche of stalkers and how far they can go, and how they justify their actions.
- Director: James Foley
- Writer: Christopher Crowe
- Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen
- Where to watch: Amazon
6. Gone Girl
Gone Girl is a psychological thriller film released in 2014. The movie follows the story of Nick Dunne, who is accused of killing his wife, as she has been missing since her wedding anniversary. He is a struggling writer and also struggling with the event of loss of her wife. As the investigation unfolds, evidence starts piling up against him.
As you will start believing that Dunne is the culprit suddenly, there is yet another twist. The movie explores the themes of marriage, relationships, and the dark side of human nature.
- Director: David Fincher
- Writer: Gillian Flynn
- Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
- Where to watch: Netflix
7. Take Shelter
Take Shelter is an American drama film released in 2011. The movie follows the story of Curtis Lafourche, who starts to experience bad dreams about the forthcoming apocalypse. As the dreams become more regular and intense, he becomes obsessed with his future and starts constructing a shelter for his family.
His obsession with building a shelter in his backyard threatens his sanity in society. He comes on the verge of losing his family, but his fear is real for him. Would he be able to save his family and his sanity? The movie follows the themes of mental health, love, and family.
- Director: Jeff Nicholas
- Writer: Jeff Nicholas
- Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham
- Where to watch: Amazon prime video
8. American Beauty
American Beauty is an American film released in 1999. The movie follows the story of Lester, who is going through a crisis. He is facing issues in his job and marriage. His wife is having an affair with a real state giant, Buddy Kane. To cope with this situation, he begins to fantasize about his daughter’s friend.
Lester wanted to change his fate and go ahead with this new union with Angela, and he started smoking marijuana. But his happiness does not last long, and his life again continues to fall apart. The movie follows the themes of a midlife crisis, self-doubts, fantasies, and family. The movie gained applause from critics and won five academic awards.
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Writer: Alan Ball
- Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch
- Where to watch: Amazon prime video
9. Swimfan
Swimfan is a psychological thriller film released in 2002. The movie follows the story of a high school swimmer named Ben, who has a great future ahead of him. He begins a relationship with a new student named Madison Bell. As their relationship progress, Ben begins to experience her true nature.
Madison becomes obsessed with him and follows him madly which also threatens his career and life. As her behavior increasingly becomes intense, Ben realizes that he needs to get away from this girl. The movie explores the dangers of stalking and the lengths that people will go to in order to hold on to someone they love.
- Director: John Polson
- Writer: Charles F. Bohl, Phillip Schneider
- Stars: Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, Shiri Appleby
- Where to watch: Amazon
10. Copycat
Copy is a psychological thriller film released in 1995. The movie follows the story of Dr. Hudson, who is a criminologist and survived an attack by a serial killer. Detective M.J. Monahan asks for his help in solving the case of another serial killer whose pattern is similar to the infamous one who attacked Hudson.
As Helen becomes more involved in the case, she finds herself facing her own fears and becoming a target of the killer. With the help of Detective Monahan, she must overcome her agoraphobia and find the strength to face the killer and stop him before he strikes again. The movie explores the dark world of serial killers and those who are obsessed with catching them.
- Director: Jon Amiel
- Writer: Ann Biderman, David Madsen
- Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney
- Where to watch: Amazon
11. The Perfect Teacher
“The Perfect Teacher” is a drama film released in 2010. The movie follows the story of a high school teacher named Dylan Shoenfield, who is in a relationship with one of his students named Jane Lynch. The movie explores the dynamics of a troubled relationship between teacher and student.
The movie also touches on the dilemma of ethics for a teacher when he goes into something like this and also the responsibilities of the teacher to maintain positive energy in relationships. This movie is made for American tv and is a good one-time watch.
- Director: Jim Donovan
- Writer: Christine Conradt, Gregory Henn
- Stars: Megan Park, David Charvet, Boti Bliss
12. Homecoming
Homecoming is an American drama film released in 2009. The movie follows the story of a woman named Carmen who recently came out of prison and tried to start her new life with her son, who has not seen her in years. But soon, she realizes that she has to face the consequences of her past mistakes.
“Homecoming” is a powerful and emotional film that explores themes of redemption, family, and the consequences of our actions. Will she be able to cope with her past and emerges victorious?
- Director: Morgan J. Freeman
- Writer: Kettie L. Fetting
- Stars: Mischa Barton, Matt Long, Jessica Stroup
- Where to Watch: Netflix
13. The Roommate
“The Roommate” is a psychological thriller film released in 2011. The movie follows the story of a college student named Sara Mathew assigned a new roommate named Rebecca. Rebecca is very jealous of Sara’s relationship with her friends and family.
By seeing strange and possessive behavior of Rebecca, Sara begins to distance herself from her. This enhances her insanity of Rebecca, and she becomes more unstable and a danger to Sara’s life. The movie explores the themes of identity, stalking, and mental illness.
- Director: Christian E. Christiansen
- Writer: Sonny Mallhi
- Stars: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet
- Where to watch: Netflix
14. The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard is an American romantic thriller film released in 1992. The movie follows the story of Rachel Marron, who receives threats from a stalker, so he hires a former secret service agent as a bodyguard named Frank Farmer.
Despite initial resistance from both parties, Frank and Rachel eventually develop feelings for each other. As Frank tries to protect Rachel from the stalker, he discovers that the threats are coming from someone close to her and must race against time to uncover the identity of the stalker and keep Rachel safe.
- Director: Mick Jackson
- Writer: Lawrence Kasdan
- Stars: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Gary Kemp
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
15. Misery
Misery is a psychological horror film released in 1990 based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The movie follows the story of Paul (a famous and best-selling novelist), who meets with a horrible accident and is rescued by a nurse named Annie. Annie saved him and took him with her to a remote place for his recovery.
At first, Annie seems to be a sane, careful, and sane person, but soon Paul discovers the dark side of Annie. She was obsessed with his famous character, a nurse, and also disagreed with the fact that she killed her favorite character in his novel. Will Paul be able to escape from her grip?
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Writer: Stephen King, William Goldman
- Stars: James Cann, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
16. Sleeping With Enemy
“Sleeping with Enemy” is a psychological thriller film released in 1991. The movie follows the story of Laura Burney, who is married to a wealthy man. He was abusive, and she had to tolerate his violent behavior because of her financial conditions; she was not in a position to leave him.
The only way she found to avoid him was to fake her death and move into a new town. His husband becomes suspicious about her death, and the chase begins between the two. Will Laura be able to protect her? The movie explores themes of domestic abuse, survival, and identity.
- Director: Joseph Robin
- Writer: Nancy Price, Ron Bass
- Stars: Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson
17. Single White Female
“Single White Female” is a psychological thriller film released in 1992. The movie follows the story of a software designer named Allison Jones. She becomes to leave with a new roommate named Hedra Carlson after leaving his fiance. Hedra Carlson seems like the perfect roommate at first. However, things take a dark turn as Allison begins to notice that Hedra is becoming obsessed.
Allison tries to part her way, and in the process, she discovers the dark past of Carlson, which could be dangerous for her. The tension continues to build high as Carlson becomes unstable. Will she be able to solve this issue swiftly without harming anyone?
- Director: Barbet Schroeder
- Writer: John Lutz, Don Roos
- Stars: Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Steven Weber
- Where to Watch: Amazon
18. The Crush
“The Crush” is a psychological thriller film released in 1993. The movie follows the story of a young journalist named Nick Eliot, who moves into a guest house owned by an older woman named Cliff and her daughter, Adrian. Nick finds Adrian attractive, and both come closer to each other. But soon, he discovers the dark side of her as she is badly obsessed with him.
With the passing of every day, her obsession intensifies and reaches a point where she becomes a life threat to Nick. The movie provides a tense climax with the confrontation between Nick and Adrian, leaving Nick fighting for his life and his sanity.
- Director: Alan Shapiro
- Writer: Alan Shapiro
- Stars: Cary Elwes, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Rubin
- Where to Watch: Amazon
19. One Hour Photo
“One Hour Photo” is a psychological thriller film released in 2002. The movie follows the story of a photo technician named Seymour Parrish, who worked at One Hour Photo Lab. He is alone and all on his own in the world. As a consequence, he becomes obsessed with an upper-middle-class family, especially with their son named, Jakob.
His obsession reached an extreme level when he found out about the affair of Jakob’ss father and embarked on the journey to stalk them. He started collecting their photos by making extra copies which became a potential threat to the family. The movie is filled with suspense and thriller.
- Director: Mark Romanek
- Writer: Mark Romanek
- Stars: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan
20. Hard Candy
“Hard Candy” is a psychological thriller film released in 2005. The story revolves around Hayley and Jeff. Hayley is a fourteen-year-old teenage girl, and Jeff is a 32-year-old man who is accused of a pedo by Hayley. According to her, he is a predator who preys on young girls.
After the intense meeting, jeff begins to realize that he may have made a mistake by meeting her. Will he be able to save him from Hayley? The movie beautifully shows the power of manipulation and the psychology of stalkers. The movie engages the audience with its tight and intense screenplay, and the dialogue writing is also pretty good.
- Director: David Slade
- Writer: Brian Nelson
- Stars: Patrick Wilson, Elliot Page, Sandra Oh
- Where to watch: Prime Video
21. Prom Night
“Prom Night” is a horror thriller film released in 2008. The movie is a remake of a 1980 film of the same name. The movie follows a masked serial killer who goes after Donna and her friends because of their past, which is set up several years back at Donna’s prom night. Now they realize they have to face the consequences of their actions.
The masked killer went after them one by one, and as the night rose, the number of dead bodies also started increasing. They must group together in order to survive. Will they?
- Director: Nelson McCormick
- Writer: J.S. Cardone
- Stars: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup
- Where to watch: Netflix
22. Enough
Enough is a drama thriller movie released in 2002. Jenniffer Lopez’s starter film follows the story of Slim, played by herself, who is a waitress and recently forced to leave her home with her daughter because of her abusive husband. She begins a new life and meets a man named Luke, the same guy who helped her escape.
But her happy life does not last long, and Mitch (her husband) finds her, and now she has to confront him. Will she be able to protect herself and her child? The movie explores the themes of empowerment, marriage, and self-defense.
- Director: Michael Apted
- Writer: Nicholas Kazan
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Tessa Allen
- Where to watch: Netflix
23. Lolita
Lolita is a drama thriller film released in 1997. The movie is an adaptation of the famous novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. The movie follows the story of a professor who is obsessed with a teenage girl. The film follows the events to what extent he can go in his obsession and becomes a serious problem for the girl.
The movie got mixed reviews as some loved the adaptation while others were not quite happy with the humor of the film. The movie is packed with twists and turns and justifies the content of such a controversial novel.
- Director: Adriane Lyne
- Writer: Stephen Schifff
- Stars: Jeremy Irons, Melanie Griffith
24. Hush
Hush is an American horror thriller film released in 2016. The movie follows the story of a successful novelist named Madie Young, who is deaf and mute and lives in isolation in the middle of nowhere. Her life took a turn when a masked killer reached her doorstep, and the cat and mouse chase stars between the two.
The movie shows the struggle of a deaf and mute novelist and how she is going to survive against so many odds. Will she be able to turn the table to another side?
- Director: Mike Flanagan
- Writer: Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel
- Stars: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco
- Where to watch: Netflix
25. Joy Ride
“Joy Ride” is an American thriller film released in 2001. The movie is centered around three friends who went on a trip to the countryside. They play a prank on the truck driver and talk to him, pretending to be a girl, and trouble him. What seemed to be little fun turned out to be a nightmare for them.
The truck driver gets obsessed with them and starts stalking them. The movie is full of suspense and thrill. Will the trio be able to get away from the driver safely?
- Director: John Dahl
- Writer: Clay Tarver, J.J. Abrams
- Stars: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski
26. The Gift
“The Gift” is an American thriller film released in 2015. The movie follows the story of Simon and his wife as they return back to Simon’s hometown. As they begin their new chapter in life, Gordo comes with an interrupt.
Simon soon realizes that Gordo is here to level his score with him. As the story unfolds, the movie shows the past equation between Simon and Gordo. The movie explores the themes of guilt and the consequences of past actions.
- Director: Joel Edgerton
- Writer: Joel Edgerton
- Stars: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton
27. Creep
Creep is a horror thriller film released in 2014. A strange person posts an ad for the job of a videographer. When a younger videographer responds to add, he was hired instantly. But soon, he gets suspected of the intentions of his employer.
The videographer becomes increasingly uneasy as the Creep’s behavior becomes more erratic, and he begins to display increasingly erratic and dangerous tendencies. The movie is suspenseful and holds its audience tight through its tight-paced runtime.
- Director: Patrick Brice
- Writer: Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass
- Stars: Katie Aselton, Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass
- Where to watch: Netflix
28. The Caller
“The Caller” is a psychological thriller film released in 2011. The movie is centered around a school teacher named Mary Kee who is sick of getting unknown calls from a person who claims to have called from the future. At first, she took it lightly as a prank, but as the calls became more regular and frequent, she began to see a threat in front of her.
The movie builds suspense around the truth of the caller and his mission. Rachelle Lefevre’s starter film explores the themes of guilt and obsession and the mental state of a stalker.
- Director: Mathew Parkhill
- Writer: Sergio Casci
- Stars: Stephen Moyer, Lorna Raver, Rachelle Lefevre
29. Cold Heart
“Cold Heart” is another psychological thriller which is released back in 2001. The movie follows Linda, a successful woman who is running a business and is happily married to a psychiatrist. Her life took a turn when her husband referred one of his patients as a potential employee of her business.
Linda begins to attracting to his man and gets closer to him one night but decides to part ways. Till Sean becomes obsessed with Linda and is not willing to break up with her and, in fact, tries to force her to come back to him. Will Linda be able to break from his dangerous obsession?
- Director: Dennis Dimster
- Writer: Zvia Dimbort, Dennis Dimster
- Stars: Nastassja Kinski, Jeff Fahey, Josh Holloway
- Where to watch: Amazon
30. P2
“P2” is a 2007 psychological thriller film. The movie follows the story of a businesswoman named Angela Bridges. The whole movie is beautifully shot and follows the obsession of a security guard in the building. She was trapped in the underground parking lot of her office.
The security guard has no good intentions of keeping her there. He is shown as a mentally unstable person who begins to stalk and terrorize her. She tries to escape but always finds Thomas one step ahead. Will she be able to escape the building safely?
- Director: Frank Khalfoun
- Writer: Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur, Frank Khalfoun
- Stars: Rachel Nicholas, Wes Bentley, Simon Reynolds
- Where to watch: Amazon
31. Orphan
Orphan is a psychological thriller film released in 2009. The movie follows the story of a couple who are grieving the death of their baby and trying hard to carry on in their life. To continue with their family, they adopted a 9-year-old girl from a Russian orphanage.
The couple discovers the dark truth about a new member of the family. She is not as innocent as she looks and exactly the opposite of what they think of her. Now the couple is in the fight for survival against their daughter. The movie delivers various chilling moments time-to-time.
- Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
- Writer: Alex Mace, David Leslie Johnson
- Stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman
- Where to watch: Netflix
32. Straw Dogs
“Straw Dogs” is another psychological thriller film made into this list which was released in 2011 and is a remake of the 1971 film of the same name. The movie is set in the small town of Blackwater, Mississippi, and follows the story of a screenwriter named David Sumner and his wife, Amy, who returns to their hometown to live in peace.
However, their plan does not go well, and not have some violent incidents with local workers. With time, these violent incidents become more frequent, and he must use all of his intelligence to protect himself and his wife.
- Director: Rod Lurie
- Writer: Rod Lurie, Sam Peckinpah
- Stars: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard
- Where to watch: Amazon
33. I Spit On Your Grave
“I Spit on Your Grave” is a horror thriller revenge story released in 2010 and is the remake of the film that came out in 1978 with the same name. The movie follows the story of a writer who goes to the woods to work on her new writing project. But this became a nightmare for her as she was attacked and raped by a group.
This event has a huge impact on her, and she goes on a revenge journey of killing each who destroyed her life. Jennifer used his intelligence and cunningness to trap her every prey. This sets an interesting plot point in the movie.
- Director: Steven R. Monroe
- Writer: Adam Rockoff, Meir Zarchi
- Stars: Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard
- Where to watch: Amazon
34. Wicker Park
Wicker Park is a romantic drama film released in 2004. The movie is set in Chicago and follows the story of Matthew, an advertising executive who is struggling to get over the loss of his girlfriend, Lisa. He begins to see her in the crowd and becomes obsessed with her presence, and embarks on a journey to find her. Was that his illusion, or was she really alive?
- Director: Steven R. Monroe
- Writer: Adam Rockoff, Meir Zarchi
- Stars: Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard
- Where to watch: Amazon
35. Bad Influence
Let’s end this list with a 1990 psychological thriller film. The movie is centered around a businessman named Michael and a struggling writer named Alex. Alex becomes his friend of Michale and is exposed to his rich and extravagant lifestyle of him. The deeper he goes into this dimension of life, the more obsessed he becomes with this world, and he also realizes that Michael is not who he seems to be.
Alex finds him extremely manipulative and uses his wealth to take control over individuals. Even after realizing the truth, Alex can’t resist pulling toward charisma of Michael. Alex needs to overcome this before it’s too late.
- Director: Curtis Hanson
- Writer: David Koepp
- Stars: Rob Lowe, James Spader, Palmer Lee Todd
- Where to watch: Amazon
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