What Audiences are Drawn to the Thriller Genre?

What Audiences are Drawn to the Thriller Genre?

There is a large age range of people, both genders that like the thriller genre. However I think thriller films interest young adults the most as they can handle the feeling of suspense and they are intrigued by the odd story lines and plots. Different people like different types of thrillers though because there are many sub-genres. 

Psychological Thrillers

Rather than physical conflict, the characters in psychological thrillers undergo mental and emotional conflict instead. This perhaps would attract a higher proportion of a female audience compared to males because there is less action and visual pain. Psychological thrillers also provide enigmas and mystery and so therefore would appeal to perhaps an older, more intelligent audience as they may enjoy trying to work it out. Some of the psychological issues could also be disturbing for many young viewers. Some examples of psychological thrillers include Shutter Island, Black Swan and The Others. 

Action Thrillers

This sub-genre, compared to most, would attract a younger audience. Action thrillers involve car chases, guns, fight scenes, explosions and doesn’t require much concentration, this is why. It usually attracts a male more than a female audience because of these conventions.  However, sometimes in some thrillers the heroic character is played by a female, for example in films like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Hunger Games and Carrie. This can attract a female audience but also a male one because the heroines can be attractive. An example of an action thriller would be The Bourne Series. 

Legal Thrillers

The major characters in these thrillers are lawyers and their employees; the system of justice is always a key part of the plot as well. These characters are always in danger of losing their cases but also their lives. Legal thrillers run on conventions and codes and so the audience going to view them usually know what is going to come and what to expect. The audience that would watch these films are highly likely to have a similar occupation to a lawyer because they have an interest in the type of thriller they are watching and can often identify with the story line. This narrows down the age of the audience to people of working age. Examples of legal thrillers include The Pelican Brief and My Sister’s Keeper. 

These are just a few examples of the many sub-genres of thriller films there are, the different types of people that they appeal to and who watches them.