Definition of a Thriller

Thriller films are films that primarily use action and suspense to engage the audience, nervous tension and anxiety are often emphasized. Thrillers are distinct from horror and action films, in that horror films emphasize fear and action films emphasize exhilaration. The thriller genre has many subcategories, such as Film Noir, crime, heist, adventure, detective, and espionage films. Typically the hero is an ‘average man’ up against a villain who is hell-bent on destroying something, often the hero faces the danger mostly alone. Hitchcock was a master of the common man as a hero, especially in films like North by Northwest. Other examples are Day of the Jackal, The Third Man, In the Line of Fire, and The 39 Steps. Overall, the key to the thriller genre is suspense.