Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television, usually having numerous subgenres. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods, giving them heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety.[1][2] Successful examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock.[3]
Thrillers generally keep the audience on the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. The cover-up of important information from the viewer, fight and/or chase scenes are common elements.[4] Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome.
In 2001, the American Film Institute in Los Angeles made its definitive selection of the top 100 greatest American "heart-pounding" and "adrenaline-inducing" films of all time. AFI also asked jurors to consider "the total adrenaline-inducing impact of a film's artistry and craft".[5]
Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest stories in the Western world and is regarded as an early prototype of the thriller. One of the earliest thriller films was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last! (1923), with a character performing a daredevil stunt on the side of a skyscraper.[1]