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Of all the movie genres out there, "thriller" is the most nebulous. After all, who doesn’t go to the movie theater to experience something thrilling? But there is a slight distinction. A thriller’s specific cocktail of action , mystery, crime, drama—and at times, comedy—used to be called "suspense" during the era of Alfred Hitchcock . Why? Because the story would slowly build suspense until a final reveal or plot twist.

Much has changed since Hitchcock's time, but the blueprints for suspense films are found in the modern-day thriller. Even if the genre is more amorphous than it's ever been before.

In 2025, Hollywood produced

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