Conventions of the Thriller Film Genre

The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, gaming and television that often includes overlapping sub-genres. Thrillers are often fast paced with frequent action and resourceful heroes and OP villains.
Various literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, cliff-hangers, cheap surprises and false endings. are used extensively.
(Red Herring: when the audience is convinced that the suspect is the perpetrator and it is later revealed that someone else is the killer/criminal etc. E.G saw, the killer was playing dead in a pool of his own blood and is acting through an intermediary who we think is the actual killer.
Cheap Surprises: An easily generated shock via a sudden movement or sound.
False Endings: the audience think it's over when it isn't.)


Thriller Types
Spy thrillers: a government agent vs. another government's agent or terrorist group/ every James Bond film ever made.

Political thrillers: Thrillers in which the hero must ensure the stability of their government. E.G Argo. They are often based on actual events.

Military thrillers: Uniformed + military + above stated literary devices along with explosions and gun fire etc. E.G Saving Private Ryan.

Conspiracy thrillers: corporation cover-ups such as inhumane criminal acts. E.G The insider involves a corrupt, large tobacco company.

Medical thriller: The hero fights against the use of unethical medical procedures eg a doctor stopping a corrupt medical practice. E.G coma

Forensic thriller: When the hero is, more often than not, a forensic scientist or a detective who solves an often horrific and long running crime spree. E.G Bones of the lost.

Psychological thriller: Mental and emotional thriller that often ends badly (as in, lucky if 1 in 5 survives the film.) for the protagonist/s. E.G Se7en and black swan.

Horror thriller: These thrillers often couple the emotional and mental terror with physical pain and gore. E.G saw and silence of the lambs.

Many thrillers often overlap with mystery stories, but are distinguished by the structure of their plots as thrillers often occur on a far grander scale such as jewel heists or killing terrorists.