Action thriller: Often these types of thrillers involve features such as a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. They usually contain, guns, explosions and action packed fight scenes. They often have background elements of mystery films and crime films. Notable examples are the James Bond films, XXX, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.

Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she knows Films such as Enemy of The State, Sum of All Fears and The Ghost.

Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include Seven, Reservoir Dogs and Inside Man.

Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to a natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. the Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and the 1974 film Earthquake.

Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.

Science-fiction thriller: Alien and Sunshine are examples of science-fiction thrilers.

Horror thriller: In which the main character is put in danger and their main enemies are unrealistic creatures in which they must destroy to achieve their goal. Films such as Sam Rami's, Evil Dead 2 and Drag Me To Hell fit into this genre of thriller.



Erotic thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, The Second Skin and Fatal Attraction.

Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.

Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake and The Flatliners are other examples of medical thrillers.

Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him such as The Manchurian Candidate.