What is the thriller genre?

Thrillers use suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. The primary sub-genres of thrillers are: mystery, crime, psychological, political and paranoid. Thrillers are mostly characterised by an atmosphere of menace, violence, crime and murder by showing society as dark, corrupt and dangerous, though they often feature a happy ending. They usually feature plot twists, red herrings and cliffhangers. They also promote on moods, such as a high level of anticipation and adrenaline rush. A few examples of thrillers are 'Psycho', 'Shutter Island', 'The Butterfly Effect' and 'Phone Booth'.