Sometimes, the most intense thrillers come from real life. These gripping films are inspired by true events—featuring daring rescues, covert ops, and systemic exposes.
Here are 7 thrillers that prove fact can be as suspenseful as fiction:
The Diplomat (Netflix): John Abraham plays J.P. Singh, an Indian diplomat who led the 2017 mission to rescue Uzma Ahmed from a forced marriage in Pakistan. A tense, emotional tale of diplomacy & courage.
Costao (ZEE5): Nawazuddin Siddiqui stars as a 1990s customs officer who unearths a gold smuggling ring. After killing a gangster’s brother in self-defense, he’s framed and must fight a rigged system.
Sector 36 (Netflix): A dark thriller loosely inspired by the 2006 Nithari killings. Vikrant Massey plays a man suspected in a series of gruesome child disappearances in Noida’s Sector 36.
Bhakshak (Netflix): Bhumi Pednekar plays a journalist uncovering the 2018 Muzaffarpur shelter abuse scandal. A powerful story of truth-seeking in the face of systemic failure.
Batla House (Prime Video): Based on the controversial 2008 Delhi encounter. John Abraham portrays a cop facing media scrutiny and PTSD as he tries to prove the operation’s legitimacy.
Argo (JioHotstar): Ben Affleck directs and stars as a CIA agent in this Oscar-winning thriller. To rescue six Americans hiding during the Iran hostage crisis, he stages a fake Hollywood movie.
Operation Finale (Netflix): Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley dramatize Israel’s daring 1960 mission to capture Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina—an intense, thoughtful retelling of justice delayed.