"Horror" vs. "Thriller" in English (2024)

'Horror' is scarier. This genre is mainly associated with using magical creatures, powers, evil beings, wizardry, etc. to induce fear and disgust in the audience. Look at the examples below:

A : Name three horror movies, will ya?

B : The Quiet Place, Orphan, and Us.

I was never really into horror movies and series to begin with.

'Thriller', on the other hand, is mainly a genre that deals with psychology. In other words, its main element is suspense and it aims at leaving the audience experiencing different emotions like anger, disbelief, excitement, etc. Look at the examples below:

Is Last Night in Soho in the thriller category or horror category?

Thrillers do not necessarily scare you.

"Horror" vs. "Thriller" in English (2024)

FAQs

"Horror" vs. "Thriller" in English? ›

While both genres involve suspense and excitement, horror typically includes supernatural elements, while thrillers often involve crime or espionage. Another mistake people make is using these words interchangeably when discussing entertainment, when each genre has its own unique conventions.

What is the difference between horror and thriller? ›

Thrillers should be fast-paced and involve intricate plots, twists and turns – just like a rollercoaster. While they might create a bloody scene with a dead body or a monster, thrillers tend to rely less on blood and gore than horror movies, instead focusing on building anticipation and suspense.

Is Scream a horror or thriller? ›

Scream is now regarded as one of the greatest horror and slasher films ever made. It has been credited with rekindling interest in the horror genre during the 1990s following a decline in the genre's popularity.

Can a movie be both horror and thriller? ›

Many movies are classified as both horror and thrillers, which can be confusing since they're actually different genres.

What is thriller in English literature? ›

Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping, subgenres, including crime, horror, and detective fiction. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving their audiences heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety.

Is Jaws a horror or thriller? ›

Scholars such as Thomas Schatz have described how Jaws melds various genres while essentially being an action film and a thriller. Most is taken from horror, with the core of a nature-based monster movie while adding elements of a slasher film.

Is Halloween a horror or thriller? ›

Parents need to know that Halloween is the horror movie that introduced the world to the infamous killer Michael Myers and has gone on to have a huge influence on the genre.

What is the scariest genre of horror? ›

What is the Scariest Type of Horror Story?
  • Paranormal horror—spooks give many of us, well, the spooks.
  • Horror-thriller—scarier to some because they're not supernatural, but grounded in reality.
  • Body horror—plays on instinctual fears around physical violation and mutilation.
Oct 24, 2022

What classifies a movie as horror? ›

They are designed to frighten, shock and disgust while evoking our worst hidden fears, ironically captivating and entertaining us at the same time. Horror films are centered around the dark side of life, the forbidden and strange, unexplainable events.

What defines a slasher? ›

Slasher films are a genre of horror most popular from the late 50s to the early 90s, defined by its use of a generally masked killer harassing and murdering groups of people. The genre and its popular films created many of the tropes we see in horror today, and many franchises have been spawned out of the films.

Is a quiet place a thriller or horror? ›

A Quiet Place is a series of American post-apocalyptic horror films set in a world inhabited by blind extraterrestrial creatures with an acute sense of hearing. It is based on a story by screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Is The Purge a horror or thriller? ›

The Purge is a 2013 American dystopian action horror film written and directed by James DeMonaco.

Is The Shining a horror or thriller? ›

The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-written with novelist Diane Johnson. It is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name and stars Jack Nicholson, Danny Lloyd, Shelley Duvall, and Scatman Crothers.

Is thriller the same as horror? ›

However, 'horror' mainly aims at inducing fear and disgust in the audience. It used supernatural elements, witchcraft, evil powers, etc. 'Thriller', on the other hand, deals more with how a movie/series can influence some people psychologically. In other words, it aims at leaving the audience thrilled.

What are the three C's of thriller? ›

When I sit down to write a book, I think in terms of what I call the three Cs that I think could be very, very helpful to anyone who's sitting down and trying to outline and write a thriller. I call them the contract, the clock, and the crucible.

Is Michael Jackson's thriller a movie? ›

It first broadcast on MTV on December 2, 1983—the network's first world premiere video—and was soon released on videocassette as part of Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, a feature-length documentary that was named the Best Selling Music Video by The Guinness Book of World Records in 2002.

What classifies as a thriller? ›

“Thriller” Definition

A thriller is a type of mystery with a few key differences. As its name suggests, thrillers tend to be action-packed, page-turners with moments full of tension, anxiety, and fear. Without fail, they are plot-driven stories with plenty of plot twists.

What qualifies as horror? ›

Horror is a genre of fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten or scare. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror, which are in the realm of speculative fiction.

Is Get Out a thriller or horror? ›

Parents need to know that Get Out is a horror-thriller directed by Jordan Peele that tackles timely issues related to race in a very thoughtful way. In many ways it's an essential movie of its moment, but it's still got plenty of mature material, making it best for older teens and up.

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