The Political Thriller in Contemporary American Cinema

Hollywood, D.C.

Krešimir Bobaš (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

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English

Routledge
30 June 2025

Film, TV & Radio; Film theory & criticism; History of the Americas; Media studies; Political campaigning & advertising

Series: Routledge Advances in Film Studies

The Political Thriller in Contemporary American Cinema examines how political thriller films (de)construct and reflect the sociopolitical realities of the second half of the twentieth century, as well as the first two decades of the twenty-first century.

The book highlights the convergence between the cinematic narrative, its underlying political discourse, and the audience’s perception of it. Through a critical lens, it analyzes how contemporary films utilize characterization, narrative, and suspense to examine topics of governance, malfeasance, and power dynamics. By referring to films such as The Manchurian Candidate, Zero Dark Thirty, and Snowden, this book traces the evolution of the political thriller, questioning how its narratives mirror issues such as covert operations, the erosion of democracy, and governmental surveillance. In turn, the conspiratorial and underlying paranoid nature of these films serves as a reflection of societal anxieties and a metaphorization of the levers of power in America’s modern-day democracy.

Consequently, this book serves as a contribution to the growing body of research on political cinema and the way it simultaneously reflects and shapes political life through its role as a sociocultural phenomenon. In doing so, it invites readers to further delve into the exploration of these films, which represent complex commentaries on the structures of corporations, media, and the military that are predominant in contemporary American society and cinema.

By: Krešimir Bobaš (University of Zagreb Croatia)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9781032887623
ISBN 10: 1032887621
Series: Routledge Advances in Film Studies
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 30 June 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introductory Remarks 2. Typological, Semantic, Syntactic, Motivic, and Thematic Determinants of the American Political Film and Political Thriller 3. The Development of the American Political Film and The Political Thriller in the 20th Century 4. The Development of the American Political Film and Political Thriller in the 21st Century 5. Analysis of Political Thrillers in Contemporary American Cinema 6. Conclusion List of Films and TV shows Index

Krešimir Bobaš received his doctorate from the University of Zagreb in Croatia. His research delves into the representation of politics and its influence on media, with a particular focus on film.