Research Horror vs Thriller- Alejandra A

 Comparing Thriller and Horror Genres

Describe

I read about the Thriller and Horror genres for this research step. I chose to research these genres because I thought they were very closely related, if not the same. There are even many horror thrillers or thriller horrors out there which made me wonder, what is the difference? Ultimately, the choice of genre will impact my final project film. I wanted to ensure that I understood both genres before choosing one.

I started by researching the convention of a thriller film. Thrillers involve suspense, tension and anticipation. They rely on mystery and piecing things together. For example, Se7en scares audiences with the terrible ideas and psychological damage it portrays, not its jump scares.

I next explored the horror genre and discovered the genre’s intention is to scare and disturb. Horror genres use sound, lighting and disturbing visuals. Films such as Hereditary depend upon silence, disturbing imagery and family fears while The Conjuring depends upon supernatural elements, jarring sounds and darker settings.

Finally, I examined hybrid genre films. The film Get Out is one example of a horror thriller film. It uses the use of thriller elements to build suspense and mystery. It uses the elements of horror films in its use of disturbing imagery and fear.

The film Shutter Island is also an example, though a more conventional, traditional hybrid genre film, of a film that uses horror elements in its use of disturbing imagery and unstable mental conditions.

These films were useful in understanding hybrid genres in actual films.

Analyze

This research has enabled me to understand that thrillers and horror movies, often juxtaposed with one another, serve different purposes to their viewers. The thriller serves to elicit suspense and anxiety, while the horror film serves to elicit fear and dread; in the case of hybrid films, one genre appears to be more prominent than the other.

After seeing all the examples, I determined that horror was the more intriguing genre to work in of the two projects. Horror lends itself more to sound, lighting and ambience and that’s what I want to dig into with my film. Horror is also the more creative genre when it comes to metaphor and emotions, versus thrillers which are more about intricate narrative devices.

Reflect

After doing the above research I feel as though I have become much more firmly guided onto the right path and eliminating any of the doubts that still were within me regarding the choice of the genre. From this research I have understood how the genre convention cause the audience’s reaction to be different in a story telling. 

But after doing all of the research, there is one last question that remains to be answered before proceeding to the next step: What is the ultimate genre destination of my project film? To start, I will attempt to answer this question now by researching the genre conventions, within horror, the sub-genres, and even genres such as psychological horror, or horror thrillers. After which, when I've completed these steps, I will get to the next step which are narratives, characters, and visuals.

Sources:

Binder, Studio. “What Is a Thriller? Genre, Characteristics, and Film Examples.” StudioBinder, StudioBinder, https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/thriller-genre/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

Binder, Studio. “What Is a Horror Genre? Definition and Examples.” StudioBinder, StudioBinder, https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/horror-genre/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

“Horror Film.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/art/horror-film. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

“YouTube.” What Makes a Movie a Horror Film? YouTube, uploaded by Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review, 1 Jan. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jEaZ9e0b3E. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.