I am writing my first Psychological Thriller and wanted to log these notes for future novels. I thought other writers of this genre may find this interesting. Firstly, what is a Psychological Thriller?

Definition of Psychological Thriller

Psychological thriller is a thriller story (including elements of mystery, drama, action, and horror, particularly psychological horror) which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states. In terms of classification, a psychological thriller’s characters have:

•    a dissolving sense of reality
•    moral ambiguity
•    complex and tortured relationships between other obsessive and pathological characters

Psychological Thriller Movies To Watch

This list of movies will help writers in this genre to get a feel for the best elements a Psychological Thriller needs.

Unsane, The Visit, Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain, Shutter Island, Black Swan, The Machinist, Take Shelter, Zodiac (2007), Fight Club, Memento, Jacob’s Ladder, Repulsion, Vertigo, Changeling, American Psycho, May, Silence of the Lambs, Fracture, Fight Club, The Game, Donnie Darko, Martyrs, The Shining, The Prestige (Huge Jackman), Death Note, By The Sea

See more on writing a Psychological Thriller.