The Thriller Genre

The thriller genre, unlike horror, is not necessarily purposely designed to scare audiences, rather suspense, tension and even excitement is primarily used to ultimately stimulate the viewer’s mood; these mood stimulations can vary extensively.

Thrillers are primarily driven by creating and building upon anticipation, as a result the viewer creates their own sense of tension and anxiety. Thrillers call upon the viewer’s own imagination to drive the, most often, fear within the story. The content is designed to entice the viewer’s creativity, often the most imaginative of which shall connect with the film the most.

There are a variety of sub genres within thriller:

Psychological Thriller

One of, if not, the most popular sub genre is the psychological thriller. This of which often incorporates aspects of the mystery and drama genre, as well as this elements of horror may also be included. Unlike the case in an action-thriller, where the characters often must overcome their threat, in psychological thrillers the characters must be reliant on their mental resources. The suspense is created often as a result of two or more characters preying upon each others minds, via techniques such as deceptive games. Some themes that reoccur consistently within the genre include;

Reality – the quality of being real, as characters often try and determine what is true and what is not.
Perception – an individuals own interpretation of the world.
Mind – the human consciousness, of which is often used for a location of narrative conflict.
Existence/purpose – a characters purpose or goal.
Identity – the definition of one’s self, as characters may doubt themselves or be filled with confusion, as a result they often set out to discover their own identity.
Death – often characters fear or have a fascination with death.

Action Thriller

In recent years the action sub genre has taken a step-down in popularity, in comparison to other thriller sub genres. Although in some instances the arguable rise in the popularity of the sub genre could be a result of audiences adapting, seeking more than just standard action sequences, the addition of a thriller type narrative deepens an audience’s immersion within a film.  Simply put, action thrillers incorporate a hybrid of elements from both action and thriller films. Action films in question often feature big-budget physical stunts, such as car chases and explosions, as well as a protagonist, in many cases flawed by lacking emotional depth. This is where the addition of a thriller aspect can benefit action, of which feature psychologically deep characters and can emphasise action by including a high level of tension and anxiety.