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Film & Television vocabulary · Genres and Storytelling

Thriller

Meaning in film & television, with examples

/ˈθrɪlə/nounCore term

In film & television, thriller means: A genre of film or series built on suspense and excitement, in which characters face danger and the audience wonders what will happen next.

In Turkish: gerilim filmi, gerilim

How it is used

Common subgenres: psychological thriller, crime thriller, political thriller, legal thriller, action thriller. Reviews praise a tense, gripping or edge-of-your-seat thriller; Hitchcock is often called the master of suspense.

Example sentences

  1. It's a slow-burning psychological thriller set in a hotel in winter.

  2. Thrillers sell well in international markets because they travel across languages.

Common collocations

  • psychological thriller
  • crime thriller
  • political thriller
  • tense thriller
  • edge-of-your-seat thriller
  • genreA category of films or TV shows that share a style, subject or set of conventions, such as comedy, horror, western or science fiction.
  • plot twistA sudden, unexpected development in a story that changes how the audience understands what has happened.
  • low-key lightingA lighting style with strong contrast, deep shadows and large dark areas, used to create mystery, tension or fear.
  • cliffhangerAn exciting ending to an episode, season or film that leaves an important question unanswered so the audience wants to see what happens next.

More terms: Genres and Storytelling

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