Many movies are classified as both horror and thrillers, which can be confusing since they're actually different genres. But since these stories have so much in common, it can be tough to tell them apart and see what they each have to offer. It's interesting to think about what makes a thriller tale different from a horror film, especially since both are so popular and there are new releases in each genre coming out all the time.
When it comes to picking out what's a terrifying horror film and what's considered a thriller, it can seem like the types of films have a ton in common. But it's possible to find some interesting distinctions between the films.
It seems fair to say that while horror movies can involve mysteries, every single thriller needs a central mystery and a main character who investigates something. Thrillers are different from horror films because they have a problem that the protagonist is going to solve. They might be directly involved, as a best friend or partner goes missing or is murdered, or they might be working on a case that is related to their job (or that they hope will get them where they want to go career-wise).
The popular Netflix film The Gray Man is a great example of a thriller. Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) used to work for the CIA and he is asked to find "Sierra Six" (Ryan Gosling). One character is looking into a mysterious situation, and while it's scary, it's not horror.
Both thriller and horror films do have blood, gore, and violence, but it could be said that characters don't need to die in order for something to be considered a thriller. It's hard to think of a horror film where characters aren't killed, though, whether by a terrifying horror movie ghost or even the worst horror movie villains. There is often a kill count in these types of movies, with some disturbing death scenes or, if it's a horror comedy, the moments are played for laughs and don't feel as scary.
A main character in a thriller can be in grave danger, like James Caan's author Paul Sheldon in Stephen King's Misery, which is so good that it deserves a remake. But while Kathy Bates's character Annie Wilkes kidnaps and hurts her idol, she doesn't murder him. If Misery was a slasher or pure horror, it seems like she would be able to kill him. But the film is often classified as a psychological thriller, and the movie is definitely focused on the journey and how scared and disgusted Paul is. He fears for his life, but Annie isn't going out and murdering several people, so the body count doesn't rack up by the end of the film.
Another thing that is different about horror movies? There is a wide variety of subgenres. While there can thrillers that are funny, like Knives Out, and there can be action-packed stories, like the previously mentioned The Gray Man, they are all still called thrillers and are about a core mystery. Horror subgenres include the supernatural, slashers, teen horror, zombie horror, Gothic horror, science fiction, body horror, and found footage. There are also horror films about anything under the sun, from ghosts to monsters to twins. There's even neo-noir movies. Fans don't see as many different kinds of thrillers, so this seems to set both types of films apart, as there are just countless types of horrors to choose from.
It's possible to argue that horror movies have mysteries just like thrillers do, but the mystery isn't the entire point of the movie, which is an important distinction. If fans think about Scream, it's impossible to classify it as a thriller. While Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does investigate the mystery of who the Ghostface killers are, that mystery isn't the be all, end all of the film. Sidney also has a relationship with her passionate boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), a best friend in Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), and is mourning the loss of her mother.
Scream also pokes fun at horror movies and has a meta vibe with lots of funny quotes. Simply focusing on Ghostface's identity would be missing so much of the fun of the story. But when watching a thriller, like Knives Out, it's hard not to want to know who the murderer is and why the family doesn't seem to trust each other.
While there are distinctions between horror and thriller movies, people sometimes classify the same movies as belonging to both genres, and it can be hard to really and truly tell them apart. At the end of the day, audiences are looking for strong characters, dialogue that feels relatable, and funny or terrifying moments, depending on what's going on. Both thriller and horror movies are so popular because they evoke a feeling of terror in those watching them and prove that even the most innocent of situations can turn scary and fast.