Supernatural thrillers blend the page-turning momentum of a thriller with supernatural elements: ghosts, demons, curses, psychic abilities, or unexplained phenomena. Unlike pure horror, which prioritizes dread, supernatural thrillers prioritize pace and plot. There's usually a mystery to solve, a clock ticking, and a protagonist actively fighting back against the supernatural threat rather than being consumed by it.
If your writing instinct is to combine supernatural elements with fast-paced plotting, this hybrid category gives you a home. It's commercially strong and teaches you to balance two sets of genre expectations: the thriller reader's need for momentum and the horror reader's need for atmosphere.
A procedural investigation into a girl's demonic possession, structured like a police thriller with supernatural stakes.
Post-apocalyptic survival thriller with a supernatural twist: a child who might be humanity's last hope or its end.
A cave-diving thriller with mounting paranoia and possibly supernatural elements, blending genres seamlessly.
Write a scene where your protagonist encounters clear evidence of something supernatural, but structure it like a thriller: they have a goal, a deadline, and a reason they can't just walk away. Make the supernatural element an obstacle in their mission, not just atmosphere.