5. Dead Of Winter (1987)
Director: Arthur Penn Cast: Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall Arthur Penn directed some classic American movies in his time, including Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man and Night Moves (which arguably should have a place on our list of 1970s thrillers). With 1987s Dead of Winter, he delivers a finely crafted but little-seen psychological thriller that serves to unnerve its audience with a disturbing plot and solid performances by its lead actors. Actress Katie McGovern (Mary Steenburgen) is cast for a part by Mr. Murray, played by the unflappable Roddy McDowall. They drive through a blizzard to a country manor house in upstate New York where Katie meets her host, Dr. Lewis, and is told she is replacing an actress who suffered a nervous breakdown. Katie looks remarkably like the departed actress and her hair is cut in order to shoot a test reel. Then events take a disturbing turn for Katie. The phone lines are down. Mr. Murrays car will not start. Katie discovers shocking photographs of the previous actress, dead of a suicide she is told. She discovers her drivers license burning in the fire grate. She panics and locks herself in her room, but she has been drugged, and passes out. When she awakens the following morning Katie discovers that one of her fingers has been removed and she is a prisoner in this house. Now if this isnt a chilling set up for a thriller, I dont know what is. Dead of Winter is a claustrophobic descent into fear and paranoia. The film was well reviewed and boasts a 75% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Dead of Winter bears some resemblance to a 1972 thriller starring Patty Duke called Youll Like My Mother, mentioned here in case you want to search that one out as well.