10 action thrillers from the 1970s that have edge-of-your-seat intensity

New styles, new technology and new voices have changed the film industry Over the 1960s and left the 1970s a brave new frontier for cinema. As on-location shooting and low-budget film grew in popularity, it allowed new kinds of stories to be told. Thriller films As we know they were born in this era, with many of the best coming from it. Smaller cameras and experimentation with editing expanded the realm of what was possible when creating these types of stories.

Legendary directors of the 1970s like Steven Spielberg, Sidney Lumet and Francis Ford Coppola cut their teeth in the genre and helped establish the language for thrillers to come. The decade was amazing for thrillers of all genres and is still hard to stack up against, especially when you compare the quality of stunts and editing.

10

The Driver (1978)

Directed by Walter Hill

The driver is the second movie of action legend Walter Hill and possibly his most influential. If you saw 2011’s drive, You saw the film most influenced by him. A quiet and sparse film that never takes its characters, it plays out like one of the best cat-and-mouse thrillers between a cool driver played by Ryan O’Neal and an evil cop played by Bruce Dern.

The movie is filled with some of the greatest car chases Put on screen, handled with a realism and grit that only emphasizes the tension. Dern is a particular highlight, providing the gritty edge that makes many 70s thrillers so intense. The film takes full advantage of its destructive chase, creating nail-biting tension from any moment the driver gets behind the wheel. His script, style and effortless cool have inspired many filmmakers and is always worth a look.

9

Marathon Man (1976)

Directed by John Schlesinger

Adapted from a William Goldman novel of the same name, Marathon Man was John Schlesinger’s first thriller, and it would not be his last. After a young college student who is drawn into a conspiracy after the murder of his brother. As the title says, The film is notable for the almost constant movement it keeps its lead inBecause Dustin Hoffman pushes his body to the limit for survival. Laurence Olivier gives a great performance as an immensely terrifying villain who carries a retractable blade.

The film is also notable for its use of sound and editing, which pushes every button to get you to the edge of your seat. So many of the movie’s most iconic scenes come from the sheer tension they cause. Whether it’s the dentist torture scene or the absolutely riveting bathtub sequence, there are so many moments to make you tense.

8

Duel (1971)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Spielberg’s first film and definitely one to take note of how quickly he took to create high octane tension. There is no surprise after watching Duel What he could do to scare so many people with water JawsBecause this will certainly make you skeptical of trucks. Told over the course of one ride, it follows a traveling salesman as he finds himself tormented by a mysterious and never-before-seen truck driver.

Set in the Mojave Desert, the movie is bursting with sunlight, and causes Dennis Weaver’s protagonist to feel trapped in a hotbox as he tries to steer clear of the huge truck. It’s claustrophobic and crushing As we experience the tense, almost psychedelic experience of trying to survive this way. It captures some truly incredible moments between the dueling cars and proves Spielberg is always destined for amazing things.

7

Rolling Thunder (1977)

Directed by John Flynn

Rolling Thunder Shares a great deal with another ’70s movie penned by Paul Schrader, Taxi driver. It is an exposé portrait of a man’s return to Vietnam and the events following the murder of his family. It is a thick and bubbly tension that hangs over the entire filmWaiting for its explosive climax with excruciating anxiety. It’s pure 70s pulp, even just witnessing him load his shotgun with a hooked hand is a sight to behold.

William Devane delivers the performance of his career as a man detached from the world he supposedly fought for and ready to fight back. The movie’s Texas setting provides the exact sweat-glossed tension you’d expect from ’70s thrillers. It is a high point of the revenge genre and provides enough anger to back up its violent and biting finale.

6

The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Directed by Joseph Sargent

The movie so tense they remade it twice. The names of Falham one two three Proves how much tension can be drawn from a confined space. The film follows the hijacking of a train car by four gunmen in an attempt to obtain a million dollar ransom. The film takes place in the train carriages and in the operating booth for the trains, when the authorities try to destroy the attempts of the hijackers.

It kicks into gear at high speed, immediately starting with the hijacking and never letting go of the momentum of the moment. Every conversation is tense as the police try to identify the criminals who keep their cards close to their chests. This movie is about as nuts and bolts as a thriller can get, but that’s exactly what makes it great. Joseph Sargent’s detached style helps accentuate the intelligence involved in the hijacking and helps maintain the ever-present stakes.

5

The Last Run (1971)

Directed by Richard Fleischer

An overlooked classic of crime cinema, Richard Fleischer The last run is an exemplary entry in the thriller genre. It carries a lot of emotional weight, without ever easing up on the accelerator. Elevated by an immensely powerful George C. Scott performance, the film follows a retired getaway driver as he accepts a job for the first time in years to transport a criminal and his girlfriend to France.

Set against the beautiful landscapes of the Mediterranean, The last run Tear through the south of France and Portugal with unprecedented speed. The film is also commendable for its use of soundJerry Goldsmith’s amazing score and the roaring engines tear you away from the tranquility of the surroundings. It’s a stunning achievement, and Fleischer should be commended for the way he captured each chase.

4

magician (1977)

Directed by William Friedkin

The late great William Friedkin implemented every trick in the book to make magician As unnerving an experience as possible. Backed by tangerine dreams greatest score, this movie refuses to hold back when it comes to the dangerous journey it carves through South America. Four people, each without a home to return to, find themselves hiding in a small town where they are offered the chance to drive two trucks filled with unstable nitroglycerin.

The movie plays like the most stressful road trip put on screenWhere every turn and every punch could end the journey in a second. Whether it’s the excellent opening sequences that reveal each character’s backstory or the iconic bridge crossing in the rain, there’s always something to be excited about when you watch magician It descends into more and more disconcerting scenarios, never becoming boring with the ever-present obstacles they find in their way.

3

The Silent Partner (1978)

You. Daryl Duke

Sorry and unbelievably sad, The silent partner is a strong entry into the thriller genre by Daryl Duke. The movie follows a bank teller who uses an unsuccessful robbery as a guise to stage his own robbery, but finds himself haunted by the original thief. Elliot Gould is great as the board cashier who takes on a daring heist and helps keep the paranoia seeping into the runtime.

The movie also boasts a particularly menacing performance from Christopher Plummer as the thief who wants his revenge. There’s a sprinkling of crazy moments, such as the Santa Claus heist and a fish tank decapitation. The silent partner Play almost like a horror movie How well it infuses its characters with paranoia and fills its frames with shadowy images. It is a worthy entry in the thriller genre and deserving of the attention it never garnered.

2

The French Connection (1971)

Directed by William Friedkin

Exploding on the screen in a violent and hectic flurry of chases and crashes, The French Connection laid the blueprint for the modern action movie as we know it. Friedkin’s combination of handheld cinematography and hectic movement propels the movie forward with unprecedented ferocity. It plays out as the relatively simple story of an obsessed cop’s attempt to take down a French drug lord. It’s a cat-and-mouse chase filled with explosive rage and twisted metal.

The movie is filled with chaotic high-speed chases and action sequences through the dangerous streets of New York. His car versus train chase is still one of the biggest sequences on screen, with aggressive cutting and even more aggressive driving to create a truly pounding sequence. The technical aspects paired with Gene Hackman’s incendiary performance provide a truly kinetic experience that is still hard to top.

1

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet tried in his directorial debut, 12 evil men, That he can transform a single space into an intense and claustrophobic experience. Dog day afternoon Reinforce his ability to do so, delivering a suffocatingly paranoid experience that refuses to let the viewer breathe. Inspired by a true story, the film follows two men as they attempt to take over a bank and everything that follows goes wrong.

The movie is anchored by what might be Al Pacino’s greatest performance, perfectly paranoid and constantly making small mistakes that amount to bigger failures. Lumet perfectly captures the anxiety that ratchets up throughoutNever leaving much room for rest. The robbery quickly turns into a media circus and, as the stakes seem to spiral out of control, so do the thieves. Dog day afternoon is a detail-driven look at a failed robbery that’s sure to leave any viewer sweating.