There is a fine line between horror and suspense. Some books straddle that line. Others are one or the other. Some forms of media make you question which genre they fit into and might be both. Let's take a look at the differences.
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Three sub-genres/genres that are hard to separate are mystery, thriller, and horror. The trouble is, what are the differences between these subgenres? Today we use Jurassic Park to illustrate this conundrum. While labeled a thriller and technically science fiction, it can fit into either horror or thriller (in my view). There is one more category called suspense that gets thrown in with thrillers. Today we'll find out if they are the same thing.
General Guidelines
A mystery has a clear puzzle or crime involved. In suspense, the main character is in danger from the start. A thriller is all about action and danger, which overlaps right into suspense territory. Horror focuses on scares and is generally more morbid.
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The thing is that you can be two of these, but not three. All of these go hand-in-hand often.
Horror and thrillers often get confused. There is also a spectrum of light and dark content. Some horror content you watch is not equal to other darker horror content. Hitchcock created suspense that was also horror. If we are talking strictly about horror or thriller, which is what I'm going to do today, the basic question to ask is whether you are terrified or not.
Horror has four basic subgenres and everything else fits into those. Monsters, killers, paranormal, and psychological. Jump scares are common here. Thrillers, on the other hand, thrill us by making us wonder what will happen next. Plot twists are common in this genre and can be explained by the natural world. Horror can't be explained by the natural world, most of the time.
Jurassic Park
The real question now is whether Jurassic Park (movies or books) are one or both. To illustrate this I'll be pointing out elements of both movies and books which may contain spoilers. You have been warned.
Jurassic Park is full of jump scares. Not only that, but the deaths within the books and movies are a bit morbid. In this way, it can be considered light horror. They find Nedry's leg in the first book. The baby T-rex eats the PR guy.
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On the other hand, we have plot twists within the movie, like the traitor to InGen who is trying to steal dinosaur genetics for another researcher. We also have one of the newest movies creating a plot twist that involves the cloning of a man's deceased daughter. This is a full-on shock to most of us at the end of the movie.
As you can see, we have elements of both. The books take a darker tone than the oldest movies, but match the tone of the newer movies. Basically, some are closer to the horror genre than others. I'd say that the three oldest movies qualify as a thriller (since Jaws is about equal to the terror level of Jurassic park, which is to say it doesn't scare me). Jurassic World took it to a new level, showing more violence than the last three movies before it. The books were not tame, either, since Dr. Wu literally has his guts ripped out by raptors, a newborn is eaten by compies, and John Hammond is eaten alive by compies. Also, there is literally a scene in the book where the raptors are ripping through metal to get to everyone in the safari-themed hotel. The books qualify as horror, so generally, the movies probably should, too.
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People debate whether this is a thriller or horror. Many say yes, some say no, and others say it is right in the middle and straddles the line. It does indeed have both elements within it, thus I say it is both after taking into account the source material. You can disagree with me if you like. You have that freedom. All the same, it has both elements and will continue to be debated by many.
Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller Subgenres—What’s the Difference? - Almost An Author
Thriller vs Horror - Why The Subtle Differences Can Save Your Script (industrialscripts.com)
The Difference Between Horror and Thriller Movies and TV Shows (nofilmschool.com)
Thriller vs. Horror: What's the Difference? - killerthrillers.net
Mystery, Thriller, and Crime Novels: What’s the Difference? - 2021 - MasterClass
Is Your Novel "Mystery," "Thriller," or "Suspense"? (dailywritingtips.com)
JURASSIC PARK Turns 27, A Look Back at the Film and Its Horror Roots | Review St. Louis (reviewstl.com)
The Real Reason Jurassic Park Should Be Considered A Horror Movie (looper.com)
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