What is it really that makes our stomachs churn in film’s most tension filled moments? This week, we’re looking at all the different types of cinematic tension and our picks for the best versions of each.

The Picks

10 – Romantic Tension – Before Sunrise
9 – Sexual Tension – Moonlight
8 – Positive Tension – Deliverance
7 – Hopeful Tension – Saving Private Ryan
6 – Dramatic Irony – Rope
5 – Hiding Protagonist – The Raid
4 – Subtextual Aggression – Zodiac
3 – Looming Standoff – Sicario
2 – The Powder-Keg – Boogie Nights
1 – Race Against Time – Back to the Future

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