Thriller

Disciplines > Storytelling > Plots > Classic story types > Thriller

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

The basic ingredient of the thriller is excitement and related intense emotions. This is stimulated by shoot-outs, car chases, kidnaps and so on. There are good guys, bad guys, onlookers and love distractions.

The thriller is a very wide genre that takes in many other types of story and may be set against story situations that include war, crime, conspiracy, escape, rescue, supernatural and other backdrops that lend themselves to the excitement.

Example

Indiana Jones
Ransom
The Thirty-Nine Steps

Discussion

Thrillers play directly to our need for stimulation, offering non-stop action and excitement that keeps us on the edge of the seat.

Thrills typically come from danger to the hero and other protagonists. On reflection we may be fairly incredulous that they somehow survive what should have killed them many times over, but the action of the moment generally carries us through along a wave of suspended disbelief.