‘Hold the Dark,’ ‘Primal’ & More Must-See Suspense Dramas Streaming on Netflix
When it comes to intense suspense dramas, men of action such as Mark Wahlberg, Michael Fassbender, and more know a thing or two as they’re put to the test in films like Lone Survivor and The Snowman. Scroll down for a closer look at the must-see genre flicks streaming on Netflix now.
Lone Survivor
Rough Guy: Mark Wahlberg as Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell.
What He’s Up Against: Taliban leader Ahmad Shah, whom Luttrell and fellow SEALs hope to neutralize in this 2013 drama based on a true story.
What to Expect: A ton of military action as the Afghan mission turns deadly.
Tough Talk: “There’s a storm inside us…to push yourself into those cold, dark corners where the bad things live.”
How It Ends: Tragically but heroically.
The Snowman
Rough Guy: Michael Fassbender as Norwegian police inspector Harry Hole, now struggling with a series of twisty, related cases.
What He’s Up Against: “The Snowman Killer,” a sociopath who naturally leaves cat-and-mouse clues in this 2017 mystery based on the
acclaimed 2007 Scandinavian bestseller. The stellar cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons, and James D’Arcy.
What to Expect: Some beheadings using an electrified cable harness and some de-fingerings as well, along with Scandi-noir dark happenings.
Tough Talk: “Come on! I’m ready! I’m here! Come on!”
How It Ends: A little melty.
Hold the Dark
Rough Guy: Jeffrey Wright as celebrated naturalist and wolf expert Russell Core.
What He’s Up Against: Things much rougher than he is in this 2018 mystery: a sinister woman (Riley Keough) who has lost her son to wolves, her half-cocked husband (Alexander Skarsgård), now back from the Iraq War, and some crazy devilment.
What to Expect: Other than wolves eating their young and war violence, you can expect Core to wonder why he ever came to the small Alaska town where people wear animal masks during killing sprees.
Tough Talk: “The natural order doesn’t warrant revenge…. What happened here is…very rare.”
How It Ends: With shades of the 1982 Paul Schrader horror film Cat People.
Arctic
Rough Guy: Mads Mikkelsen as stranded crash survivor Overgård.
What He’s Up Against: The dangers of the Arctic Circle as he seeks rescue for himself and a fellow survivor in the 2018 chiller.
What to Expect: One angry bear and an even angrier Icelandic location.
Tough Talk: “Where do you keep your medical kit? You understand what I’m saying? The medical kit?!”
How It Ends: With one final, fiery SOS.
Hunter Killer
Rough Guy: Gerard Butler as USS Arkansas sub captain Joe Glass.
What He’s Up Against: A rogue Russian general who’s kidnapped his country’s president in a coup in an attempt to trigger World War III. Meanwhile, opposing subs lurk undersea, keeping the USS Arkansas in their sights in the 2018 thrillfest.
What to Expect: Suspicion, grudging international cooperation, and Butler and Gary Oldman’s Admiral Donnegan trying to keep a lid on a powder keg.
Tough Talk: “What is better? Be right or be alive?”
How It Ends: With plenty of fireworks, followed by a respectful handshake in a world that’s safe for democracy.
Primal
Rough Guy: Nicolas Cage as fiery big-game hunter Frank Walsh.
What He’s Up Against: An assassin (Kevin Durand) loose on the same ship that Walsh is using to transport a white jaguar in 2019’s ragin’ actioner.
What to Expect: Mayhem, venomous attacks, lots of sneering and shooting.
Tough Talk: “You kill my cat, I’ll blow your head off!”
How It Ends: Did we mention there’s a deadly jaguar on board?
The Silencing
Rough Guy: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as loner and ex-hunter Rayburn Swanson, now on the trail of a killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years before.
What He’s Up Against: A cunning adversary, as well as a wary sheriff (Annabelle Wallis) who worries that her troubled brother may be the culprit in this popular 2020 thriller.
What to Expect: Info on what an atlatl is — namely, a deadly spear-throwing tool that results in one heck of a mark.
Tough Talk: “I covered this trap years ago, realizing I didn’t like killing animals. I’ll make an exception for you.”
How It Ends: With the bad guy explaining things with as much detail as a James Bond villain, before getting his just deserts.
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