▁on ▁the ▁criminal ▁or ▁the ▁detect ive ▁and ▁more ▁on ▁generating ▁susp ense . ▁Common ▁them es ▁include , ▁terror ism , ▁political ▁consp i racy , ▁purs uit ▁and ▁rom antic ▁tri angles ▁leading ▁to ▁murder . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁American ▁Film ▁Institute ▁made ▁its ▁selection ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0 0 ▁greatest ▁American ▁" heart - p ounding " ▁and ▁" ad ren al ine - ind uc ing " ▁films ▁of ▁all ▁time . ▁The ▁ 4 0 0 ▁nominated ▁films ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁American - made ▁films ▁whose ▁thr ills ▁have ▁" en l iven ed ▁and ▁en rich ed ▁America ' s ▁film ▁her itage ". ▁A FI ▁also ▁asked ▁jur ors ▁to ▁consider ▁" the ▁total ▁ad ren al ine - ind uc ing ▁impact ▁of ▁a ▁film ' s ▁art istry ▁and ▁craft ". ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 9 2 0 s – 1 9 3 0 s ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁thr iller ▁films ▁was ▁Harold ▁Lloyd ' s ▁comedy ▁Saf ety ▁Last ! ▁( 1 9 2 3 ), ▁with ▁a ▁character ▁performing ▁a ▁dare dev il ▁st unt ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁a ▁sk ys cra per . ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock ' s ▁first ▁thr iller ▁was ▁his ▁third ▁silent ▁film , ▁The ▁L od ger : ▁A ▁Story ▁of ▁the ▁London ▁F og ▁( 1 9 2 6 ), ▁a ▁susp ense ful ▁Jack ▁the ▁Ri pper ▁story . ▁His ▁next ▁thr iller