Karyn Kusama's Five Favorite Thrillers

Karyn Kusama is best known for directing "Aeon Flux" and "Jennifer's Body." Now, she's taking it to the next level with her new must-see thriller, "The Invitation." To celebrate the film's release, here are the five films the director watches when she wants to get her heart racing. "The Invitation" hits theaters April 8. By Rachel Horner

'Seven' (1995)

"One of the greatest genre-benders of all time. Part thriller, part noir policier, part existential horror film -- perversely watchable from the first masterful frame to the last."

'A Prophet' (2009)

"This gripping survival story remains a peerless depiction of the slow -- and eventually calculated -- rise to power by a young, low-level criminal in a French prison. A beautiful achievement."

'Klute' (1971)

"Gordon Willis' rich, moody photography and Michael Small's creeping tendril of a score keep this film tense and strange.  Jane Fonda as an actress/call-girl wrestling with the power of performance, and the need for genuine vulnerability, is a revelation every time I watch it."

'Point Break' (1991)

"Possibly the most deliriously entertaining film of Kathryn Bigelow's impressive body of work. Feel the power of Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze with their charisma meter cranking at 10, and watch some action sequences that, 25 years later, still remain unparalleled."

'High and Low' (1963)

"A structurally-daring kidnapping drama whose first half is confined largely to one location, while its second half becomes a cat-and-mouse pursuit story. Kurosawa's elegant staging of his actors keeps every frame thrumming with tension."