Yea! I mean that, really. America needs to see film from other countries more than ever before; Americans need to see how people around the world live. Similar, different, better, worse — exposure to the greater world is priceless.

For some reason, though, I’m not getting the feeling that this movie is going to be scary, like what you expect from a “thriller.”

I’ve been reading comments about A24’s recent marketed-in-a-flash I SAW THE TV GLOW, and the main one is that the movie isn’t a thriller. So why is A24 marketing it as one?

Because the younger generations get high on Halloween. They were brough up by adults who grew up scared out of their mind by Jason and The Candyman. And “dramas” are for boomers.

Any drama with a little sizzle is being called a thriller these days, and it’s really bothering me. Drama is thrilling. It’s suspenseful. Calling a movie a “thriller” is trying to piggy-back off the horror market, which have always been popular but are now crazy popular. We’re overstimulated with the internet and 24/7 entertainment, and we crave a good heart-pounding moment of uncertainty. The thing is, thrillers don’t have jumpscares, or blood and guts, or slaughters. They aren’t horrific. Because they’re drama.

I might have to rethink some of this, and what the differences are between thrillers, suspense, mystery, horror, slasher, and drama. But for now, can we call a drama a drama?