It’s been interesting to watch books and movies romanticize crime, particularly within the thriller genre. What once relied heavily on psychological fear, suspense, and manipulation now often incorporates sexual tension as a central part of its appeal.
If BookTok is any indication, I believe this shift may influence how audiences perceive criminal behavior and imagine unhealthy relationships.
Influencers like Ally K have spoken out about these romanticized desires, highlighting the reality behind relationships that are often portrayed as desirable in fiction.
I will be exploring whether sexual tension is enhancing modern thrillers or overshadowing the psychological elements that define the genre, and how these stories may shape our perceptions of romance, attraction, and harmful behavior.
The film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book, Verity, is the perfect starting point for this conversation because watching the trailer was what first got me thinking about this.
The film follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh as she uncovers disturbing writings while working in the home of renowned author Verity Crawford and becomes entangled with the Crawford couple in strange ways.
A kiss between Verity (Anne Hathaway) and Lowen (Dakota Johnson) caught my attention and made me wonder how sexuality is being used in modern thrillers. In my opinion, it often feels like sex is being used as a shock factor or a selling point to draw audiences in.
More and more, trailers seem to rely on showing the steamiest scenes to grab viewers’ attention, rather than highlighting the suspense or psychological tension that makes the story compelling.
I don’t think sexuality has no place in thrillers, but I do wonder whether or not it’s becoming an easier way to sell a film than building genuine suspense.
To me it seems like BookTok audiences are controlling the onscreen decisions. I’m also interested in exploring how readers’ growing interest in stories that intertwine danger, desire, and psychological uncertainty is beginning to influence the thriller genre.
TikTok has truly shaped how readers discover and discuss books, helping stories with morally complicated characters reach wider audiences. A 2025 study of 663 BookTok followers found that positive attitudes toward creators’ recommendations predicted audiences read the books they promoted.
While this does not prove that BookTok changes readers’ relationship expectations, it shows how much influence these creators can have over what audiences choose to read.
But what happens when stories involving obsession, manipulation, and literal criminal behavior become romanticized?
In my opinion, stalking is now framed as devotion, jealousy is just extreme passion, and controlling behavior is seen as the baseline for love. These dynamics can make an incredibly hot and exciting fictional story, but they can be harmful in real life.
These stories can blur the line between what makes an exciting story and what would be unhealthy or dangerous in an actual relationship.
A systematic review published in Sexuality Research and Social Policy explored romantic-love myths and their relationship to gender-based violence.
Although this research does not establish that thrillers cause harmful relationship expectations, it highlights why the romanticization of possessiveness, control, and mistreatment deserves scrutiny.
Psychological thrillers have always been interesting to me because I feel like their ability to frighten audiences doesn’t depend on theatrics or overly dramatic imagery.
The fear comes from suspense, uncertainty, manipulation, and the gradual realization that a character may not be who they appear to be. Sexual tension can strengthen these elements by complicating relationships and creating vulnerability.
As someone who wants to go into intimacy coordination, I will never argue that sexuality has no place in a thriller. Attraction and desire can be really strong motivators for a character, complicating their judgment and making an already dangerous situation even more unpredictable.
I do think it becomes a problem, though, when sexual tension begins to overshadow suspense and character development, becoming a crutch rather than adding to the story.
As BookTok continues to influence which stories blow up, adaptations have an opportunity to preserve the uncomfortable questions that make psychological thrillers compelling.
Rather than presenting obsession as inherently romantic, I feel like they can explore its consequences while maintaining the attraction, ambiguity, and tension that draw audiences in.
This isn’t about determining whether thrillers should include sexual tension, but whether it’s being used effectively without sacrificing suspense.
When done well, I believe a truly unsettling thriller should leave audiences questioning a character’s motives, the reliability of what they’ve witnessed, and the difference between attraction and danger. And, honestly, questioning themselves and their own perceptions of reality.
In my opinion, the goal isn’t to make these stories less provocative, but to ensure their meaning doesn’t get lost behind steamy kisses and a crap ton of nudity.