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Thriller Subgenres
- Action Thriller: take any other thriller subgenre, give it’s defining elements a back seat, and focus on
the action, and you have an action-thriller. This is more common in movies than novels because of
the visual appeal of explosions and violence.
- Conspiracy Thriller: in this subgenre the protagonist must confront a large,
powerful organization whose threat only he sees. Usually he must do so
alone.
- Crime Thriller: this subgenre focuses on crime, and is usually from the
criminal’s point of view. Physical action and eluding the police take the
place of gathering evidence and trying to discover the criminal.
- Disaster Thriller: in this subgenre a (usually) natural disaster is taking place, and the antagonist is either trying to
stop the disaster, the extent of the disaster, or just save themselves before time runs out and the disaster has run
its course.
- Eco-Thriller: in this subgenre the protagonist must stop a threat to the environment (man-made or
natural) that will have consequences for society if left unchecked. The damage could be local, but
nation or even world-wide stakes are more dramatic.
- Forensic Thriller: in this subgenre the protagonist(s) are forensic scientists whose involvement in an
unsolved crime threatens their lives.
- Legal Thriller: this subgenre takes place in and around the courtroom. Usually the protagonist is a
lawyer who has found their case threatening death for either them or their client.
- Medical Thriller: this subgenre involves something usually used for medical purposes becoming a deadly
weapon. Often it is a virus that is leaking out to the public. The protagonist or antagonist or both are doctors.
- Mystery Thriller: this is a subgenre of both mysteries and thrillers. It differs from a regular mystery
by being much more fast-paced, with the protagonist on the run and the threat of another crime
serving as the “ticking clock.”
- Political Thriller: in this subgenre political relations or the whole government is at stake, and the
protagonist is employed by the government to stop the decline. The protagonist may have been
low-level before having attracted attention.
- Psychological Thriller: a personal favorite. In this subgenre a lot of the conflict is mental, rather than physical. The protagonist has
become involved in a dangerous situation which literally threatens their sanity. They must use mental prowess to overcome their
opponent, whether the battle is inside their own head or it a battle of wits.
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