3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (September 21-27)

Published Sep 20, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. If you're seeking thrillers, you've found the perfect destination. Several new thrilling movies have been added to the major streaming services, like The Runner on Prime Video. For this article, we're sticking to Netflix, which boasts one of the best streaming libraries. The first movie on this list stars Denzel Washington during his rise as an action star. The next movie is a dystopian adventure sequel in a beloved young adult franchise. Finally, the top selection of the week is a charming romantic thriller featuring two breakout stars. 3 Safe House Denzel Washington in his action era Denzel Washington has the talent to succeed in any genre. His best work is in drama, where he became one of Hollywood's best actors in the 1980s and 1990s. At the turn of the century, Washington began shifting toward action and thrillers. I think winning the Oscar for Training Day changed his career trajectory. By 2010, Washington was a full-blown action star, and in 2012, he headlined the underrated Safe House. In South Africa, CIA officer Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been babysitting an inactive safe house. That changes with the arrival of Tobin Frost (Washington), a former CIA operative who is now a wanted criminal. Mercenaries attack the safe house, killing several people, but Weston manages to escape with Frost. With no one else to turn to, Weston and Frost must work together to stay alive, and Weston uncovers a conspiracy that changes his outlook on the organization he works for. Safe House is what I call the perfect TNT movie. If you're scrolling through the channels on a Saturday afternoon and come across Safe House, you're going to watch it. Washington and Reynolds make a surprisingly effective duo that makes you wonder what they could do in another movie. Still, Safe House does the job and satisfies that action itch. 2 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Katniss heads back to the arena ​​​​​​​ If I had to pick between young adult franchise, I would take The Hunger Games over Harry Potter. It's nothing against The Boy Who Lived, who I like, but I have a stronger connection to Katniss Everdeen. The second novel, Catching Fire, is my favorite in the trilogy. Luckily for me, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is also the best dystopian movie in the franchise. After surviving the Hunger Games in the first film, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) embark on a victory tour to stop growing unrest within the districts. However, the people of Panem are restless, and Katniss becomes a symbol of hope and freedom, much to the dismay of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). With the upcoming 75th Hunger Games, President Snow announces the third Quarter Quell, meaning the tributes will be pulled from the winners in each district, sending Katniss and Peeta back into the arena. Once in the games, Katniss discovers a larger plan to try and spark a rebellion.​​​​​​​ Catching Fire is by far the best action movie in the franchise. The sequences in the arena are as exciting as they are terrifying. Lawrence cements herself as an iconic action heroine, especially for teenagers. Her magnetic presence is ideal when playing a rebel hero. It's a worthy sequel to a cherished franchise. 1 ​​​​​​​Hit Man Stars are born When did you first discover Glen Powell and Adria Arjona? For me, I fell in love with Powell in Everybody Wants Some!!, Richard Linklater's terrific 2016 baseball comedy. As for Arjona, she first caught my eye in 2016's The Belko Experiment. The two actors built up their resumes over the years, but 2024's Hit Man, a romantic thriller and comedy, saw them level up as stars. Directed by Linklater from a script he co-wrote with Powell, Hit Man follows the life of Gary Johnson (Powell), a boring and safe college professor who also aids the police in sting operations. When the team loses a key piece of the operation, Gary steps in as the fake hitman and thrives. During one encounter, Gary, posing as a man named Ron, goes against protocol and attempts to stop Madison (Arjona) from ordering a hit against her abusive husband. Gary falls in love with her, making matters worse. I walked away from Hit Man thinking that Powell and Arjona should be massive stars going forward. Their chemistry is tremendous, and they both exude ridiculous amounts of charisma. As a fan of Linklater, this is probably his best movie since Everybody Wants Some!! It's a movie made for adults—sexy, funny, and thrilling. If you need a date night movie, do yourself a favor and fire up Hit Man. What else can you find on Netflix? If you plan to stay on Netflix, I have some more recommendations coming your way. Rebel Ridge and Train Dreams are Netflix original movies that were so good I wish I could see them in a theater. Plus, Best of the Best, one of our picks for new movies to watch in September, is now streaming. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four