Some of the most popular and classic television shows and films fall under the thriller genre. For example, Gone Girl, Shutter Island, Parasite, Midsommar, the list goes on. Thrillers have a way of pulling you into their strange web of tension, clues, suspicion, and carefully-timed shocks.
No matter the setting, whether it’s modern America, a quiet Korean neighbourhood, or a sunny commune in Sweden, there’s always that lingering feeling that something isn’t quite right.
At its core, the thriller genre is all about suspense… that tight-chested feeling of waiting for something to happen, even when you’re not sure what. Thrillers often revolve around danger, mystery, secrets, mind games, or moral dilemmas. A good one keeps you alert, engaged, and slightly on edge. You can usually tell you’re watching a thriller when the story feels like it’s pushing you forward, when every scene is a breadcrumb, every character might be hiding something, and the atmosphere is charged with risk.
Within the larger thriller genre, smaller, distinct subgenres exist. Each has its own flavour, tone, and way of unsettling the audience. For instance, you wouldn’t compare Parasite, which is a dark, socially charged story about a poor family who infiltrate a wealthy household by taking up jobs under false pretences, to Us, Jordan Peele’s eerie tale about a family confronted by their terrifying doppelgangers.
Both are thrillers, but they use very different elements. Parasite leans into class tension and accidental chaos, while Us thrives on horror imagery and psychological tension.
Below is a breakdown of the major thriller subgenres, how they work, and examples that show their style.
1. Action Thriller
Action thrillers combine the pace and adrenaline of action films with the suspense and danger of thrillers. The protagonist is usually racing against time, fighting off enemies, or stopping a catastrophic event. There’s tension, of course, but the storyline relies heavily on physicality through chases, stunts, explosions, frantic escapes, and high stakes.
A classic example is Mad Max: Fury Road, a relentless ride through a post-apocalyptic desert where survival involves speed and grit.
Another is The Bourne Ultimatum, where Jason Bourne tries to uncover the truth about his past while evading government assassins. The tension comes not only from the mystery but also from the nonstop movement that keeps you glued to the screen.
READ ALSO: What Makes Horror Scary? 10 Subgenres and the Movies Behind Them
2. Crime Thriller
Crime thrillers immerse you in the world of criminals, detectives, or people caught between moral lines. They usually revolve around a major crime like murder, kidnapping, organised crime, and the tension builds from the investigation or the criminal act spiralling out of control.
Se7en is a prime example, following two detectives chasing a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his pattern.
Zodiac also fits perfectly, centred on journalists and police obsessively trying to unmask a real-life killer whose taunting clues create years of fear and frustration. The suspense thrives on the uncertainty of whether justice will be served.
3. Psychological Thriller
Psychological thrillers explore the mind, its fears, its distortions, and its darkest corners. The antagonist is often the mind itself, going through paranoia, delusion, manipulation, and trauma. These stories make you question what’s real, and they rely on mood and internal tension more than external threats.
Black Swan is an example, as it follows a ballerina whose obsession with perfection slowly unravels her grip on reality.
Shutter Island does the same with the U.S. Marshal investigating a mysterious asylum while battling his own disturbing memories. The suspense here is subtle and unsettling, often lingering long after the film ends.
4. Mystery Thriller
Mystery thrillers revolve around uncovering the unknown like an unsolved case, a disturbing secret, or a set of clues leading to a shocking reveal. The audience is invited to play detective alongside the protagonist, piecing things together bit by bit.
Gone Girl is a standout, centred on the disappearance of a wife and the media-fuelled suspicion that her husband may be involved.
Knives Out also fits with a sharp, modern spin on the classic whodunnit as a detective investigates a wealthy family after the mysterious death of their patriarch. These films build suspense through twists, misdirection, and the constant puzzle-solving that keeps you thinking.
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