Film

Spyder

Spyder is a 2017 Tamil-language action thriller where a surveillance expert with a conscience hunts a sadistic serial killer. It's heavy on technical spectacle and emotional violence, lighter on plausibility. Made for fans of high-concept thrillers who can forgive plotting for style, and for Mahesh Babu's fanbase in particular.

TMDb rating2.6

If you liked this

Thani Oruvan2015

A matching Tamil thriller pairing a brilliant investigator against an even more brilliant criminal mastermind. Tighter plotting, smarter dialogue, and the same commitment to make you care about the cat-and-mouse game.

But Older and made on a tighter budget, so the action feels less lavish. Also requires you to follow complex logic rather than just enjoy spectacle.

Thani Oruvan poster

Rang De Basanti2006

Aamir Khan as an idealist trying to change the system from within, surrounded by a talented ensemble. Beautiful filmmaking, genuine stakes, and that rare thing: a thriller that actually earns its emotion.

But It's a Bollywood film from another era with a very different energy. Over two hours, and the pacing assumes you want to sit with the characters rather than rush.

Rang De Basanti poster

Kaavalan2011

Tamil action thriller with Siddharth as a man caught between impossible choices. Smarter about moral complexity than most films in this space, with a twisty second half that respects your attention.

But Less glossy and high-tech than Spyder. The action is grounded rather than operatic, which some will find more satisfying and others will find less exciting.

Kaavalan poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Spyder

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Enemy2014

Both use surveillance and obsession as their emotional engine. Both feature protagonists who can't stop hunting, even when it destroys them. Both understand that the chase is the real story.

Jake Gyllenhaal as a man obsessed with his own doppelganger, pursued through nightmarish Toronto. A psychological thriller that uses surveillance and doubles as a metaphor for self-destruction. Obsession as the real enemy, not the other man.

But It's slow, abstract, and ends ambiguously. If you need clear answers or constant action, it will feel like pretentious frustration rather than smart cinema.

Enemy poster
More like this (7)

Natrang2010

A Marathi thriller about a man obsessed with theatre and performance, hunting a killer through a richly detailed world. Utterly unique in tone and atmosphere, gorgeously shot, with an ending that haunts you.

But It's slow-burn and meditative. If you want constant forward momentum and action beats, this will feel like it's working against you deliberately.

Natrang poster

Kabali2016

Rajinikanth as a crime lord emerging from prison to settle accounts. Stylish, violent, deeply strange in its mythology. Pure genre cinema aimed at adults rather than children.

But The plot is threadbare and mostly an excuse for set pieces. It requires a willingness to surrender to mood and charisma rather than follow narrative logic.

Kabali poster

Ugly2013

A visceral Indian thriller about a kidnapped child and the corruption that swallows everyone who touches the case. Raw, unpolished, and genuinely disturbing in ways that make you uncomfortable.

But It's deliberately ugly and grim. No catharsis, no clear victory. If you want a good ending, this punishes you for wanting that.

Ugly poster

242016

Suriya as an inventor fighting time travel and his own evil version. Genuinely creative sci-fi action that tries something different, with committed performances holding wild ideas together.

But The plot becomes convoluted in the second half. You'll need patience for exposition and a tolerance for ideas that don't always land cleanly.

24 poster

Gully Boy2019

Ranveer Singh as a Mumbai rapper fighting class and circumstance. A thriller dressed as a music drama, with real energy and a protagonist you root for despite everything.

But It's more interested in character than plot mechanics. The crime elements are backdrop to a coming-of-age story, which will disappoint if you came for pure thriller satisfaction.

Gully Boy poster

The Invisible Man2020

Both are thrillers about hunters using technology and cunning against impossible odds. Both understand that the real threat isn't just violence—it's the helplessness of not knowing where the danger comes from.

A visceral remake that turns the invisible man into a story about stalking and control. Lean, inventive action filmmaking that generates genuine dread from what you can't see. Modern, angry, formally brilliant.

But It's a feminist reclamation that explicitly makes the story about domestic abuse and power. If you want a straightforward sci-fi action romp, the thematic heaviness will feel like a sermon.

The Invisible Man poster

A Prophet2009

Both trace a man's transformation into something harder and more dangerous. Both use that transformation as the central emotional arc. Both ask what you become when you commit fully to the hunt.

A French prison drama about a young man ascending criminal hierarchy through cunning and will. Brutal, intelligent, completely gripping. Shows how a nobody becomes a kingpin through pure force of personality and strategic thinking.

But It's in French, subtitled, and set almost entirely in a prison. The violence is casual and constant rather than spectacular. No heroes, no redemption, just survival and ambition.

A Prophet poster

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