Psychological horror overlaps with other thrillers.
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction , which relies on the mental , emotional and psychological status of characters to frighten or unsettle readers , viewers , or players . The subgenre frequently overlaps with the related subgenre of psychological thriller , and it often uses mystery elements and characters with unstable , unreliable , or disturbed psychological states to enhance the suspense and horror of the setting and plot and to provide an overall unpleasant , unsettling , or distressing atmosphere .