The definition of a thriller genre

According to International Thriller Writers, a thriller is "the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace." Usually in thrillers heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world. The heroes are the protagonist, and the villians the antaganist. Twists in the plot, and the intense pace is what makes a thriller so exciting, cross-cutting is used to add suspense and close ups are to hide the identity of characters, creating mystery. Alfred Hitchcock is regarded as one of Britains most famous film directors, he is known as the 'Master of Suspense' as he created films in the crime and suspense genre that he made his own.