Genres

Thriller:
Themes: The protagonist faces death, either theirs or somebody else's. The force of the antagonist must initially be cleverer and/or stronger than the protagonist. The main storyline for the protagonist is either a quest or a character that cannot be put down. The main plotline focuses on a mystery that must be solved. The film's narrative construction is dominated by the protagonist's point of view. All action and characters must be credibly realistic or natural in their representation on screen. The two major themes that underpin the thriller genre are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals. Presence of innocence in what is seen as an essentially corrupt world. The protagonist and antagonist may battle, themselves and each other, not just on a physical level, but on a mental one as well. Either by accident or their own curiousness, each character is dragged into a dangerous conflict or situation that they are not prepared to resolve.

Different Types of Thrillers: Crime thrillers are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, kidnappings Mystery thrillers are investigations and the whodunit technique Psychological thrillers are mind games, psychological themes, stalking, confinement/deathtraps, horror-of-personality, and obsession Paranoid thrillers include fringe theories, false accusations and paranoia Spy thrillers include threats to entire countries, spies, espionage, conspiracies, assassins and electronic surveillance

Characters: Criminals, stalkers, assassins, innocent victims (often on the run), menaced women, characters with deep dark pasts, psychotic individuals, spree killers, sociopaths, agents, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, private eyes, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psychofiends, etc. Protagonists are frequently ordinary citizens unaccustomed to danger or people who are accustomed to danger such as police officers and detectives

In psychological thrillers, the protagonists are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with the antagonist or by battling for equilibrium in the character's own mind The suspense often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state

Examples of Thrillers: Seven Now You See Me World War Z Insidious Machete Kills The Purge The Conjuring