Thriller Sub-Genres:

 

The Thriller Genre has a variety of different sub-genres, each of which contains a number of very successful films. Charles Derry stated that there are 6 main sub-genres of Thrillers. 

1. The thriller of murderous passions,

2. The political thriller,

3. The thriller of acquired identity,

4. The psycho-traumatic thriller,

5. The thriller of moral confrontation,

6. The innocent-on-the-run thriller.

 

Thriller sub-genres may contain elements of other genres. For example:

 

Comedy Thrillers, which contain a higher amount of comedy than other thrillers.

Conspiracy Thrillers, which typically focus on a large organisation as the main antagonist. The protagonist is the only character to realise the true nature of the antagonistic corporation.

Crime Thrillers, which focus on characters involved in crime. This may include the victims of crime but more often focuses on the criminals themselves, as anti-heroes.

Political Thrillers, which concentrate on the struggle for political power. The themes explored include corruption, terrorism, and war. These often overlap with conspiracy thrillers.

Psychological Thrillers, psychological thrillers concentrate on the unstable nature of characters' psychology, particularly their struggle to comprehend reality. The themes explored include identity, perception, and existence.