A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. They usually involve various extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him. They can involve national or international political scenarios. Political corruption, terrorism, and warfare are common scenarios. Normally the political party in power has ulterior motives and often will wish for total Fascist control and will work alone or with a shadow cabinet. Exceptions to this rule includes The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film), where the political character is influenced unwillingly, and Vantage Point, an assassination based political thriller, which became more popular after the assassination of John F Kennedy.
Authors of political thrillers include Jeffrey Archer and Daniel Silva. Playwrights to have embraced the genre include Gary Mitchell, who in the 2000s became "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright".[1]
When reviewing the film The Interpreter, Erik Lundegaard recently attempted a definition:
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.[2]
Several post-9/11 political thriller films refer to terrorism, the September 11 attacks, or both.