Thrillers are an incredibly varied set of films. Easily mixed up with horror films due to their close relation of tension and uncertainty, thrillers base their tones about building suspense not in order to scare the audience necessarily, but to create intense excitement. This can be used in a multitude of scenarios and so there are a tonne of sub-genres as below;
Action thriller
Comedy thriller
Conspiracy thriller
Crime thriller
Erotic thriller
Horror thriller
Legal thriller
Political thriller
Psychological thriller
Spy film
Supernatural thriller
Techno-thriller
Inception
One example of a science fiction heist thriller that I have seen is the critically acclaimed 'Inception' by Christopher Nolan, who wrote, co-produced, and directed it. Perhaps the reason this film is so successful as a thriller, is simply down to the fact that it makes you think. If you want to keep up with the story, you have to wrap your head around the crazy ideas being put forward, and much like The Matrix once did, you may even question your own reality. This level of philosophical involvement really captures an audience and helps to encompass an audience, which in the long term creates a bigger lasting effect of excitement and tension throughout.
Saw
A more extreme sub-genre of thriller films include slashers and some horrors. Even though ,as I said before, horrors and thrillers are different genres, there are some films in limbo. Both genres use incredibly similar techniques of building suspense, anxiety and anticipation. However the difference is in the climax. Horrors intend to 'jumpscare' the audience whereas thrillers want to create an adrenaline rush. Saw is one of the movies that fits in between. It is a high anxiety film. The climaxes aren't necessarily scary but instead just incredibly intense and violent.
Fight Club
Of all thrillers, my particular favourite is Fight club by David Fincher. The film doesn't fit within any particular sub-genre necessarily. Its action-packed, physiological, crime-based, comedic and the list goes on. The film manages to tell the audience a false story so successfully whilst giving enough information so that the final plot twist is hard hitting and nerve wracking. Much like inception, the film makes the audience think, which in my opinion is the best way for a thriller to create suspense.
Legend
Romance thrillers are less common. My current favourite film is Legend by Brian Helgeland based around the Kray Twins. The film cleverly blends the two genres, to create a sense of realism in the relationship. The romantic side makes you empathise for both brothers and the wife, but the tension and suspense illustrate the darker sides, for example abuse and rape. The 'thrilling' parts of this film aren't particularly action packed (apart from the fights) but are based on the audience's knowledge on the strength of the brothers, and the tension is built up through clever dialogue.
All in all in my opinion, a thriller is a film that gets your heart racing. It doesn't have to be scary, or action packed, it simply has to emotionally involve the audience in one way or another. This can include scaring the audience or simply having an audience feel so empathetic toward a character that the story is able to reach them on a personal level.
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