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{{Short description|Genre that involves romance and thriller}}
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{{confuse|Erotic thriller}}

A '''romantic thriller''' is a [[narrative]] that involves elements of the [[romance fiction|romance]] and [[thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[genre]]s. A good thriller provides entertainment by making viewers uncomfortable with moments of suspense, the heightened feeling of [[anxiety]] and fright. A thriller is more a familiar concept and description than a pure [[genre]]. It is not a genre with a precise definition. It can vary from comedy and melodrama to adventure and romance. All thrillers are a combination of different genres.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} The basic thriller trait of suspense fits with some genres better than with others.<ref>{{cite book|last=Altman|first=Rick|title=A Semantic/Syntactic Approach to Film Genre' in Film Gere Reader|year=1995|publisher=Austin University of Texas Press|isbn=0851707173|pages=[https://archive.org/details/filmgenre00altm/page/26 26–40]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/filmgenre00altm/page/26}}</ref> For example, [[Crime film|crime]], [[Sci-fi film|sci-fi]] and [[Romance film|romance]] allow more scope for suspense than [[screwball comedies]] or [[Musical film|musicals]] do.

Romantic thriller is a genre that merges two or more genres together. It is different from established and historically specific cinema movements like [[Gothic horror]] or [[Hollywood Golden Age|Golden Age detective]]. (thrillers pp. 260 261)<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruben|first=Martin|title=Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-58839-1|page=260,261}}</ref> A genre works on two levels. First a specific theme exists, then general relationships, patterns and structural elements are interwoven to the specific theme. This is why there can be a large variety of visual styles and story structures in romantic thriller.

==History==

[[Northrop Frye|Northrop Frye's]] ''[[Anatomy of Criticism]]'' (1957): suggested four [[archetypal]] categories in literature; comedy, romance, tragedy and irony or satire. In a romance, the protagonist is only slightly superior to others and can behave in remarkable ways, in a world where ‘ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended'.<ref>{{cite book|last=Frye|first=Notrthrop|title=Anatomy of Criticism; Four Essays|url=https://archive.org/details/anatomyofcritici00fryerich|url-access=registration|year=1971|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=9780802092724|page=[https://archive.org/details/anatomyofcritici00fryerich/page/139 139], 40}}</ref>

The common element in a romantic plot is adventure. There is an adventure or quest where the hero faces ordeals or monsters. There is often a sense of two worlds, the mundane reality and the unknown mysterious. The concept of a maze is seen in romantic thrillers, where the exit or solution is not easily navigated. It is similar to a metaphor for a journey with blind spots and false turns where some things are hidden.

In the 1935 release of ''[[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|The Thirty-Nine Steps]]'', character [[Richard Hannay]] leaves a theatre with a mysterious and attractive woman, they begin a romantic adventure into a world of spies, double agents, and espionage. Author [[John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir|John Buchan]] was a pioneer of spy thrillers, adding romance and adventure traditions into the then-new context of political conflict. The possibility of romance between the mysterious woman, and a decent gentleman was only a minor consideration to [[Alfred Hitchcock]]’s adaptation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruben|first=Martin|title=Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-58839-1|page=228,229}}</ref>

Based on [[Raymond Chandler]]’s first Detective Marlowe novel, ''[[The Big Sleep]]'' (1946, with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Martha Vickers): demonstrates the two romantic thriller elements of adventure and dual worlds. The main protagonists are brought together in an attempt to save Bacall’s younger sister Vickers. The main adventure sleuth plot has the characters traveling both together and separately.<ref>{{cite book|last=Maltin|first=Leonard|title=Classic Movie Guide|year=2005|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=0-452-28620-4|page=47}}</ref> In a common theme, they are from different social worlds, and wouldn’t usually mix. The romance between the two seems hopeless. Parallel to the adventure story unfolding, the romance travels its own labyrinth of truth and deception, to finally overcome issues of mistrust. The story can be summarised as a private detective working for a rich family, investigates a complex case including murder and blackmail while possibly falling in love. Raymond Chandlers’ Marlowe character was described as ‘a knight in dark armor rescuing a lady.’<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruben|first=Martin|title=Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-58839-1|page=89}}</ref> Film adaptations of the novels varied according to the directors and producers and their interpretation of the character, using certain traits more than others to tell their story. In a similar way, there is a variety of styles in the adaptations of the [[James Bond in film|James Bond]] character. Where Marlowe romanced with quick banter with sexual overtones, Bond seduces in a more physical style.

== Films ==
[[File:Principal_Cast_in_Casablanca_Trailer.jpg|thumb|right| [[Casablanca (film)|''Casablanca'']] (1941)]]
[[File:SamKissBrigMaltFalc1941Trailer.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)|''The Maltese Falcon'']] (1941)]]
Opinions vary on what films are in this category; this is only a sampling. The first list is Hollywood movies while the second is broader and includes international films.
* ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]] ''(1942): World War II drama of complications and love; stars [[Humphrey Bogart]], [[Ingrid Bergman]] and [[Claude Rains]].
* ''[[The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)|The Maltese Falcon]]'' (1941): Detective story with a love affair; stars Humphrey Bogart, [[Mary Astor]] and [[Peter Lorre]].

* ''[[The Big Sleep (1946 film)|The Big Sleep]] (''1946): Detective Marlowe story with a love affair; stars Humphrey Bogart, [[Lauren Bacall]], [[John Ridgely]], [[Martha Vickers]].
* ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]'' (1958): Classic Alfred Hitchcock direction. Investigation and romance; stars [[James Stewart]] and [[Kim Novak]].
* [[Charade (1963 film)|''Charade'']] (1963): Divorcee gets involved in a caper with multiple layers of masked identity; stars [[Cary Grant]], [[Audrey Hepburn]], [[Walter Matthau]], and [[James Coburn]].
* ''[[Sleeping with the Enemy|Sleeping With The Enemy]] (''1991): Abused wife fakes her death to escape violent husband; stars [[Julia Roberts]] and [[Patrick Bergin]].
* ''[[True Romance]] ''(1993): By Quentin Tarantino. Full of drugs, drama and sex; stars [[Christian Slater]], [[Val Kilmer]] and [[Patricia Arquette]].
* ''[[Unfaithful (2002 film)|Unfaithful]]'' (2002): Marriage to an unfaithful wife has fatal consequences; stars [[Richard Gere]] and [[Diane Lane]].
* ''[[Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005 film)|Mr. and Mrs. Smith]]'' (2005): Married couple are secret assassins; stars [[Angelina Jolie]] and [[Brad Pitt]].
* [[The Tourist (2010 film)|''The Tourist'']] (2010): Spies rope an unsuspecting tourist into their global hunt for a thief; stars Angelina Jolie, [[Johnny Depp]], [[Paul Bettany]], and [[Timothy Dalton]].

Broader list of examples:
* ''[[Pudhiya Paravai]]'' (1964)
* ''[[The Tamarind Seed]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Eyes of Laura Mars]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Diva (1981 film)|Diva]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Breathless (1983 film)|Breathless]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Romancing the Stone]]'' (1984)
* ''[[The Handmaid's Tale (film)|The Handmaid's Tale]]'' (1990)
* ''[[Darr]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Dil Se..]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Wicker Park (film)|Wicker Park]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Baober in Love]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Match Point]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Gangster: A Love Story]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Fanaa (2006 film)|Fanaa]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Azhagiya Tamil Magan]]'' (2007 [[Tamil film]])
* ''[[Birdemic|Birdemic: Shock and Terror]]'' (2008)
* ''[[The Adjustment Bureau]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Super 8 (2011 film)|Super 8]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Nidra (2012 film)|Nidra]]'' (2012 [[Malayalam film]])
* ''[[Safe Haven (film)|Safe Haven]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Maha Maha]]'' (2015 [[Tamil film]])
* ''[[Road Games (film)|Road Games]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Gentleman (2016 film)|Gentleman]]'' (2016)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{film genres}}
{{Filmsbygenre}}

[[Category:Film genres]]
[[Category:Romance films]]
[[Category:Romantic thriller films| ]]
[[Category:Thriller films]]

Romantic thriller - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article