Genre Research (Thriller)

Thriller films include numerous and sometimes overlapping sub genres. They are mainly determined by the fast pace, frequent action and heroes who ruin the plans of villains (often better equipped than the hero). They use devises such as suspense and cliffhangers.

Thrillers often take place mainly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas. The heroes in most thrillers are often "hard men" adapted to danger: law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. However, they can also be ordinary people drawn into danger by accident.

Thrillers often overlap with other mystery stories, but are renowned by the structure of their plots. In a thriller, the hero must stop the enemy's plans, rather than reveal a crime that has already happened. Thrillers can also take place on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prohibited are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Threat, danger and violent conflict are standard plot elements. Unlike mystery films that climax when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others. However, the hero may be killed in the process of saving others.

In recent years, when thrillers have been increasingly influenced by horror or psychological-horror exposure in pop culture, an ominous or monstrous element has become common to intensify tension. The ominous or monstrous presence could be anything,a supernatural being, aliens, serial killers, or even microbes or chemical agents.

Thrillers are defined not by their topic but by their approach to it. Many thrillers involve spies and intelligence, but not all spy stories are thrillers.
Thrillers may be defined by the key mood that they extract: Apprehensive excitement. In short, if it 'thrills', it is a thriller.


Sub-Genres

Action thriller - When the work involves a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious rivalry. These films usually include a lot of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. Notable examples are the James Bond films.

Crime thriller - Crime thrillers are a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers films. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually accentuate action over psychological aspects. Vital topics of these films incorporate murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include Seven, The Godfather and Reservoir Dogs.