horror-thriller
Frightening tense film
A horror-thriller is a film, novel, or other work that blends elements of horror with thriller pacing—combining supernatural or visceral terror with suspense, pursuit, or psychological tension.
The horror provides the threat; the thriller structure provides the chase: The film was marketed as a horror-thriller, with jump scares punctuating a cat-and-mouse plot.
Knife-wielding horror villain
- psychologicalOf the mind
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- goreGraphic bloody violence
jump-scare · tension · dread · twist · climax · antagonist · victim · survival
Intense anticipatory fear
- tensionStretched or strained state
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
claustrophobic · ominous · eerie · creepy · chilling · menacing · unsettling · paranoid
Bestselling horror fiction writer
- page-turnerCompulsively readable book
- gothicDark, mysterious aesthetic
- paperbackBook with flexible cover
- bestsellerHigh-volume publication
Dean Koontz · Shirley Jackson · anthology · novella · serialized · adaptation · narrator · unreliable
Story's central figure
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- villainWicked story antagonist
- revealMake something visible
- foreshadowingHinting at later events
backstory · motive · pursuit · escape · confrontation · resolution · cliffhanger · flashback
October 31st festival
- Silence of the LambsThriller about catching serial killers
- A Quiet PlaceHorror film requiring silence
- The ConjuringDemonic possession film
- Train to BusanKorean horror on rails
slasher
Knife-wielding horror villain
- psychologicalOf the mind
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
gore · jump-scare · tension · dread · twist · climax · antagonist · victim · survival · chase
dread
Intense anticipatory fear
- tensionStretched or strained state
- suspenseAnxious uncertainty about outcomes
- uneaseMild persistent worry
foreboding · claustrophobic · ominous · eerie · creepy · chilling · menacing · unsettling · paranoid · oppressive
Stephen King
Bestselling horror fiction writer
- page-turnerCompulsively readable book
- gothicDark, mysterious aesthetic
- paperbackBook with flexible cover
Dean Koontz · Shirley Jackson · bestseller · anthology · novella · serialized · adaptation · narrator · unreliable · prologue
protagonist
Story's central figure
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- villainWicked story antagonist
- revealMake something visible
foreshadowing · backstory · motive · pursuit · escape · confrontation · resolution · cliffhanger · flashback · MacGuffin
Halloween
October 31st festival
- Silence of the LambsThriller about catching serial killers
- A Quiet PlaceHorror film requiring silence
- The ConjuringDemonic possession film
The Shining · Train to Busan · Rosemary's Baby · The Exorcist
horror-thrillerromantic comedy
Humorous love story genre
comedy · rom-com · musical comedy · fairy tale · slapstick comedy
horror-thrillerslice-of-life
Realistic portrayal of ordinary events
arthouse drama · character study · tone poem · literary adaptation · period drama
horror, thriller, horrors, horrible, horribly, horrify, horrified, horrifying, horrific