Romantic thriller

The concept of a maze is frequently used in romantic thrillers, symbolizing a journey filled with blind spots, false turns, and hidden elements, making the path to the solution difficult to navigate.

In the 1935 release of The Thirty-Nine Steps, protagonist Richard Hannay leaves a theatre with a mysterious and attractive woman, and they embark on a romantic adventure involving spies, double agents, and espionage.

Author John Buchan pioneered the spy thriller genre, blending romance and adventure within the emerging context of political conflict.

In Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation, the possibility of romance between the mysterious woman and the decent gentleman was a minor consideration compared to the larger plot of intrigue.

[5] Based on Raymond Chandler’s first Detective Marlowe novel, The Big Sleep (1946), starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Martha Vickers), the film exemplifies two key elements of the romantic thriller: adventure and dual worlds.

The story revolves around a private detective, hired by a wealthy family, investigating a complex case involving murder and blackmail, all while possibly falling in love.