Thursday, 20 January 2011

The difference between the Horror genre and the Thriller genre...

A Thriller movie can often be mistaken for a Horror film as it can be difficult to differentiate between the two, from the very nature of a film to the way the film industry prefers to split the two or blur the lines between them. Here are some of the main differences between thriller movies and horror movies.

Every film is written with a purpose, how it wants to affect the audience. Thriller movies are meant to thrill, whereas horror films are meant to leave the viewer horrified, hence the name 'horror' film. Though Thriller films may have some elements of terror, they are usually more suspenseful. Horror movies aim to get you jumping from your seat. A thriller leaves room for discussion and can generate some real fear, whereas horror will simply leave you feeling scared without much reason, as the events are usually improbable.

Thriller movies always have a good plot as many are book based. You can expect the unexpected with thrillers. You don't know exactly who is doing what or why, but it is revealed to you and there's sure to be twists in the story. With horror, almost everything is predictable. You typically know who is doing what, though a motive may or may not be given. You can typically tell what happens next and to whom. The line between thrillers and horror is drawn here. Thrillers are films that could happen. They're about stalkers, serial killers who stay dead when they die and practical phenomenon. Horror films stray from reality, with killers returning from the dead and other supernatural elements taking place.

Horror focuses on gore and body count. A thriller might kill off a significant number of characters, but any grotesque deaths will only be implied, not shown.

Many times genres are mixed and for the sake of attracting more viewers they are categorised in a non traditional way. What may have been a horror might be released as a suspense thriller. This way the film industry is sure to attract as many viewers as possible.


Amy Reeve and Charlotte Bone

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