Political thriller

A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of political power struggle. They usually involve various plots, rarely legal, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him from getting it. They can involve national or international political scenarios. World War II is a favorite scenario, as are US presidential elections. Authors of political thrillers include Jeffrey Archer and Daniel Silva.

The question is often asked "what makes a political thriller?" Erik Lundegaard recently attempted a definition when reviewing the recent film The Interpreter, -

"The basic plot is an ordinary man pulling an innocent thread which leads to a mess of corruption. The corruption should be political or governmental in nature.".

Examples

One example of this genre of thriller is the film The Contender, as it centers around the political maneuvers of a fictional president trying to appoint a woman to be his Vice President.

Another more well established movie in this genre is All the President's Men although the book on which it is based is more properly regarded as non-fiction.

It may also be exemplified by the 1980 film Agency, and in the thriller The Man from Majorca.

Perhaps the most obvious example of the political thriller in film is Oliver Stone’s critically acclaimed and controversial box-office hit JFK, which deals with the conspiracy to kill U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

A highly successful political thriller in television is 24, which throughout the series ties thwarting terrorist attacks to the corruption of government officials. A secondary story will often consist of a presidential cover-up, being either a personal matter or one which extends to terrorism. The ideal outcome of these events will be saving the reputation of a government administration as well as many American peoples' lives.