#NewsBytesExplainer: Understanding sub-genres of thrillers with prominent mainstream examples
The atmospheric tension, the what-ifs, and could-haves, the nail-biting suspense scattered throughout, the cliffhangers—nothing keeps you company like a well-executed thriller backed by potent performances. Alfred Hitchcock, David Fincher, Roman Polanski, Akira Kurosawa, and back home, Sriram Raghavan and Ram Gopal Varma are some directors considered the masters of the genre. Today, we dissect the major sub-categories of the thriller genre.
Psychological thrillers
Possibly the most enjoyable kind of thrillers, psychological thrillers deal with troubled protagonists. They are likely to lose touch with reality, question the things happening around them, and be prone to paranoia and immense suspicion. The mystery is eventually revealed in the final 10 or 15 minutes and is generally a twist ending. Examples include Psycho, Memento, Shutter Island, Darr, Phobia, and Gerald's Game.
Action thrillers
Globetrotting adventures, action thrillers are filled to the brim with action set pieces, adrenaline including stunts, and death-defying sequences, and are usually shot across multiple locations. Per Screenwriting Magazine, "The audience expects the protagonist to fight for his survival and find himself in grave physical danger repeatedly throughout the film." Some action thrillers worth your time are the John Wick and Mission Impossible movies.
Spy thrillers
Spy thrillers are intense, serious, fast-paced, and multilayered, and there is a complex plot in place that deals with covert missions, government plans, international dealings, etc. The movie can focus on just one spy or a group of spies/an entire agency. Examples from Bollywood include Madras Cafe, Baby, Mission Majnu, Tiger Zinda Hai, Raazi, Ek Tha Tiger, and Bell Bottom, among others.
Sci-fi thrillers
As the name suggests, sci-fi thrillers combine the fan-favorite genre of science fiction with elements of thrill. While scientific elements form the core of the entire story, a mystery is thrown in which drives the plot ahead. For example, going into outer space for a covert mission. Some popular examples include Alien, Blade Runner, Inception, The Matrix, Interstellar, and Ad Astra, among others.
