1 definition by JACKDEARIPPER
A genre that is similar to horror and crime, but it lacks scares and frightening content. The genre is more about suspense, psychology, mystery, tension and even drama.
It may have gore, though it's not used in horror fashion where it's intended to scare the shit out of us (a la, Saw & Hostel), but in realism manner - where it's necessary and not forced.
Thrillers tend to be realistic; There is no boogeyman in thrillers. Killers tend to be more human-like, maybe a little mental, and they do not wear masks or anything like that. Most thriller killers have reason to kill others (ransom, revenge, obsession, jealousy, etc). Some may be just psychotic, though not Michael Myers/Jason Vorhees psychotic, but more realistic Norman Bates/Anne Wilkes-psychotic.
Horror films pale in comparison to thrillers, as horrors scare us and give us nightmares (which is annoying, right?), while thrillers give us an adrenalin rush and make us excited, tense and never really scared.
Just a reminder: Action "thrillers" like Speed and Die Hard are just action; there's no need to call them thrillers. It's pretty retarded, really. Same as horror "thrillers" like Halloween and Dawn of the Dead; JUST call them horrors. Since 99% of action and horrors have thriller characteristics like suspense. But that doesn't mean we should call them thrillers when they're not. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GENRE.
It may have gore, though it's not used in horror fashion where it's intended to scare the shit out of us (a la, Saw & Hostel), but in realism manner - where it's necessary and not forced.
Thrillers tend to be realistic; There is no boogeyman in thrillers. Killers tend to be more human-like, maybe a little mental, and they do not wear masks or anything like that. Most thriller killers have reason to kill others (ransom, revenge, obsession, jealousy, etc). Some may be just psychotic, though not Michael Myers/Jason Vorhees psychotic, but more realistic Norman Bates/Anne Wilkes-psychotic.
Horror films pale in comparison to thrillers, as horrors scare us and give us nightmares (which is annoying, right?), while thrillers give us an adrenalin rush and make us excited, tense and never really scared.
Just a reminder: Action "thrillers" like Speed and Die Hard are just action; there's no need to call them thrillers. It's pretty retarded, really. Same as horror "thrillers" like Halloween and Dawn of the Dead; JUST call them horrors. Since 99% of action and horrors have thriller characteristics like suspense. But that doesn't mean we should call them thrillers when they're not. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GENRE.
Hitchcock films are thrillers.
Some notable MODERN thriller films include: Panic Room, Red Eye, Buried, Frailty, Phonebooth, Cellular, Joy Ride, Single White Female, The Hitcher, Misery, Identity, The Machinist and Breakdown.
Some notable MODERN thriller films include: Panic Room, Red Eye, Buried, Frailty, Phonebooth, Cellular, Joy Ride, Single White Female, The Hitcher, Misery, Identity, The Machinist and Breakdown.
by JACKDEARIPPER October 17, 2010