A new architectural trend in film and television is shifting away from traditional gothic and Victorian homes as backdrops for thrillers and horror productions. Instead, modernist-style dwellings with their austere concrete, steel, and glass exteriors paired with minimalist, open-plan interiors are becoming the new staple for villain lairs and sinister settings. These contemporary homes, often situated on isolated plots, create an atmosphere that's both sleek and unsettling.

Rather than the rickety wooden interiors of classic horror films, modern thriller productions are embracing the stark beauty and psychological tension that minimalist architecture can provide. The clean lines and expansive glass walls of modernist homes offer filmmakers new opportunities to create suspense through architectural elements that feel both sanctuary-like and prison-like.

Among the most striking examples is High Sunderland in the UK, restored by Loader Monteith Architecture. Originally built in 1957 and designed by architect Peter Womersley, this modernist house in the Scottish Borders underwent a careful restoration to reinstate its original design. The home features open-plan living spaces wrapped in glazed elevations, though it had suffered extensive structural damage before its renovation.

Equally dramatic is the Ghost House in Warwickshire, UK, completed by BPN Architects. This partially-sunken concrete home lives up to its name with steel-framed windows that emit an ethereal glow. The discrete entrance requires visitors to cross over a reflecting pool and descend into a sunken courtyard, creating an almost ritualistic approach to the dwelling.

In Minnesota, The Woodland House by Altus Architecture Design showcases how modernist principles can blend with natural settings. The single-story family home consists of three interconnected cedar volumes and an adjacent shed clad in shiny stainless steel. Embedded into a wooded site, the home's open-plan interior overlooks the verdant landscape, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Scotland's remote locations provide particularly cinematic settings, as demonstrated by Mannal House on Tiree by Denizen Works. Located on the island of Tiree, this home draws inspiration from the outline of a stone cowshed for its gable-shaped glass wall. The house sits within existing stone walls and features an original gable wall that was reinstated and now incorporates the entrance.

Another Scottish example is the Hundred Acre Wood, also by Denizen Works. This seven-bedroom family home uses an unusual material choice – recycled TV screens cover the walls. Situated on a plot overlooking Loch Awe, the home features a monolithic, castle-like structure organized internally around a central hall lit by an oculus, creating an almost medieval atmosphere within a modern framework.

In Suffolk, UK, the Pavilion House by Danish studio Norm Architects demonstrates how glazed walls can create both transparency and mystery. The steel-framed holiday home features glazed walls that wind around the structure, with the studio taking an approach of "tranquility and simplicity" for both the main volume and studio annexe, which sit alongside an existing barn.

Perhaps the most literal example of a thriller-ready home is One Folgate Street, designed by production designer Jon Henson for the BBC television series "The Girl Before." Based on a psychological thriller novel by British author JP Delaney, Henson looked to minimalist Japanese architecture for inspiration. The house was conceptualized as a "fourth character" for the series, designed to feel simultaneously like a sanctuary and "a fortress or prison," organized around a double-height courtyard.

Completing this collection is Apple Tree House in Canada, designed by Montreal studio ACDF Architecture. Located in the rural area of St-Donat near Montreal, this low-slung, modernist-style home features blackened wood across its exterior. The home is organized around a central courtyard planted with an apple tree, providing sight lines through the living areas while maintaining the isolation that makes these homes perfect for cinematic tension.

These eight homes demonstrate how contemporary architecture has evolved to create spaces that are simultaneously beautiful and unsettling, making them ideal candidates for modern thriller productions that seek to explore psychological tension through environmental design.