Political Thrillers 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. Example:

Thirteen Days

THIRTEEN DAYS chronicles the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when American planes took photos of Soviet missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) had endured the botched attempt at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Castro the previous year. This drama doesn't waste time on introductions or exposition, giving the story a sense of immediacy and urgency. Advisors like Dean Acheson and the military urge JFK to bomb the sites. But Adlai Stevenson says, "One of us in the room should be a coward," and he asks the President to come up with a diplomatic solution. Kennedy knows better than to fight the last war, but he is not sure how to fight the next one. The President and his advisors argue about what to do ("Bombing them sure would feel good!"), interrupted by "just as usual" events to avoid letting the press or the Soviets suspect that anything was going on. When President Kennedy tells Chicago Mayor Daley that he "wouldn't miss this event for the world," we appreciate the literal meaning of his words.