Thriller films contain elements of crime, mystery, or espionage that excite and suspense audiences. They feature dark characters like criminals or assassins dealing with themes like terrorism, conspiracy, pursuit, or revenge. Example films analyzed include Taken about a retired CIA agent rescuing his daughter from kidnappers, The Dark Knight about Batman confronting the Joker, and Inception about dream invasion technology. Well-known actors that star in thrillers include Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon.