The thriller genre encompasses films and literature that elicit feelings of suspense, excitement, and anxiety in viewers. Thrillers take place in a variety of settings and usually involve life-or-death situations. Some popular thriller subgenres include crime thrillers, mystery thrillers, and action thrillers. To achieve thrills, these films employ suspense, plot twists, shocking imagery, and point-of-view shots to isolate characters and intensify danger. Over the past 30 years, the thriller genre has evolved with technology and culture, expanding to include disaster and mystery subgenres beyond its realistic roots in 1940s-1970s films that played on actual societal fears.