Thriller Genre

A thriller film is one that creates an atmosphere of suspense, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat, and aims to 'thrill' the audience. 

There are similar genres such as horror, but these differ in the way that the aim of a horror film is to create fear whereas a thriller aims to create an adrenaline rush and can still be positive. 

There are many sub-genres to thriller such as:

Action Thriller -Which builds up its atmosphere of suspense and danger through physical action in chases, stunts, and battles.
For example Kill Bill


Psychological Thriller -These create suspense through clever concepts and threats to the mind rather than physical ones. They often use devices such as an unreliable narrator and make the audience question the reality of the events playing out.
For example The Girl on The Train


Film Noir- This can also be a genre in itself. They create atmosphere with black and white colouring and harsh lighting. They became popular in the 1940s-50s and have incredibly intricate plots which use flashbacks and narration to explain.
For example Sunset Boulevard


Crime Thrillers -These put a crime plot into a thriller's style, filling it with a sense of danger. They tend to centre around the criminals rather than the heroes and create tension by doing so.
For example The Fugitive