Sub-genre research

Psychological thriller


One sub genre of the thriller genre is the psychological thriller. The difference between a regular thriller and a psychological thriller is that a psychological thriller emphasizes the abnormal psychological state of its characters and often includes a "dissolving sense of reality".

Psychological thrillers are loved particularly for their ability to raise engrossed questions and often spark debates and even controversy.






Popular psychological thrillers include titles such as Das Experiment, angel heart and silence of the lambs. Described as a story which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states, these films are benchmarks for what a successful psychological thriller should aspire to be. Instead of displaying legions of gore and violence, their main objective is to play with your mind; to leave it up to you to construct the tension of what you have just witnessed.

Crime thriller


This subgenre focuses on crime, and is often shown from the criminal's point of view, this sub-genre is filled with action, ulterior motives and often include many appearances from the police in order to gather evidence and capture the criminal. Stats show that crime thrillers are the most popular type of thriller.




Popular crime thriller films include titles such as: nerve, gone girl, prisoners and the departed.


popular crime thriller TV shows include titles such as: breaking bad, narcos, line of duty, Whitechapel and luther.

Action thriller

Action thriller films are action-packed adventures, loved for their ability to pin the viewer to the edge of their seat. Action thrillers typically include plots involving the protagonist or protagonists ending up in a series of challenges that typically include violence, close combat, physical feats and frantic chases. Action thrillers tend to feature a resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which normally result in victory for the hero. 

Popular action thriller films  include titles such as: Casino royale, kill bill, face off and taken.

Popular action TV shows include titles such as: arrow, the flash, prison break and Dexter.

Romantic thriller

Romantic thriller or romance thriller is a narrative that involves aspects of both thriller and romance. Romantic thrillers focus on passion, emotion and lust as well as including the suspense and tension that viewers love to see throughout thriller films. The plot of a romantic thriller often centres around a couple that has gotten themselves involved in crime or a disorderly situation.

Popular romantic thriller films include titles such as: color of night, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the tourist, match point and the bodyguard.

Popular romantic thriller TV shows include titles such as: the originals, true blood, pretty little liars and the vampire diaries.