A Thousand Hamlets | 5 outperforming thrillers of 2020 to give you goosebumps

By Ang Li

Some people say that watching horror movies is a good way to test one's personal limits in a safe environment, while other thriller enthusiasts regard this as a simple and effective way to relieve the pressure. What are the real charms of them that have earned a bunch of the most loyal fans in every part of the world? Let's get the iced coke and popcorns ready, grab your most comfortable cushion, and start the exciting journey of exploring these out-of-expectation thrillers in 2020.

1. Run

The protagonist is a homeschooled, wheelchair-using teenage girl who has been unfortunately bothered by several kinds of diseases, including diabetes, asthma and paralysis of the legs, since a small child. But she's very smart and mentally strong, with a hope of going to the dream school. Her mom, played by Sarah Paulson who is famous for her excellent performance in American Horror Story, has been very patient and considerate to take care of her daughter in every aspect of life.

It is supposed to be a heart-warming story until something unexpected happens. The daughter starts to question about the pills her mother gives her to "cure her illness". What's more horrifying than the moment when you begin to have doubts about someone familiar whom you used to trust the most in the whole world? It is natural that the girl's perception of everything starts to fall apart. Which are lies from the very beginning? And what are the dark secrets? You need to find out the truth by yourself.

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2. The Invisible Man

It is not an exaggeration that this Australian-American science fiction psychological horror film can evoke the deepest fears in your heart. In the beginning, the main female character wakes up in a large bed of a spacious seaside villa, frightened and nervous, trying to get away from her wealthy boyfriend. This is the first suspense where everyone gets curious.

It turns out that her boyfriend is extremely abusive and a total control freak. But just when audience feel relieved for the woman when the guy commits suicide, the real nightmare just begins. The woman can still feel the presence of her so-called "dead" boyfriend everywhere. It seems that he becomes invisible instead of being dead. Is this an illusion or a real thing? How has the guy become invisible and what does he want to achieve by doing this? Watch the intense movie to find out.

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3. Sweet Home

Released on Netflix from Dec. 18, 2020, the apocalyptic horror South Korean TV series has recorded over 1.2 billion net views. What if one day, the world has suddenly changed, with different types of monsters popping out everywhere, and humans who get infected also become one of them?

The doomsday, infected humans, horrifying scenes, and unknown virus: Do all these look familiar to people in 2020? Yes, when people are fighting against the pandemic, everyone feel so related to this drama. But what is the real cause of the disaster? Is it virus, curse, or the dark side of humanity? Maybe you'll get the answers from watching it.

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4. Spell

The movie evolves a successful black man who brings his wife and children back to his remote hometown in the middle of nowhere to deal with some family issues, but their helicopter crashes and he seems to be the only one who survives. When he wakes up, he found himself taken care of by a seemingly kind elderly couple, until he finds their sinister intentions.

The plot is rooted from voodoo, a primitive tribal culture and religion originally from Africa. The movie creates a scenario where you can feel the desperation of the helpless protagonist, with addition of unknown religious elements, which really gives the audience the creeps.

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5. The Call

The Call is a 2020 South Korean thriller film directed by Lee Chung-hyun, starring Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo. The story is about two women from different times who connect through a phone call which interchanges their fates. But just when the protagonist thinks she can save her father's life by changing the past, the salvage is actually a haunting nightmare and a psychopath killer is released. Will the fate be reversed and the protagonist get her life back? Check out the intense film to unveil the mystery.

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