2. Thriller
Thrillers are built on the use of suspense excitement and tension these three main elements
can be seen in all types of thriller based media. Thriller build on the viewers emotions invoking
a high level of anticipation, while viewing that piece of media. The viewer is tricked into
different heightened emotions one these false emotions is uncertainty of events, that are
happening in the piece of media itself forcing the viewer into a false sense of security or
assumptions to possible outcomes. The viewer will also be surprised with how the plots and
events pan out during the duration of the piece of the media weather it be a plot twist or an
unexpected outcome.
The viewer will also experience anxiety or terror this will due to the nature of the piece of
media been viewed by the audience. Thrillers use plot twists, cliff-hangers and red herrings to
fool the audience by tricking the viewer into a false sense of safety and been comfortable
with a definite outcome which is then twisted. Red Herrings are the perfect device to mislead
the viewer which Thrillers use in all its different form. It involves giving the audience clues
intentionally or unintentionally.
The aim of a thriller is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and alert this done
because thrillers are a villain-driven plot whereby he/she presents an obstacle the protagonist
must overcome. This might be in the form of a problem, an escape, mystery and mission.
Danger the protagonist finds him/her self in Thrillers are greatly emphasised no matter what
sub genre the Thriller falls into. Thrillers build tension through out the media piece leading to a
stressful finale. Thrillers cover up information to the audience to build on the tension for the
finale. Fight and chase scenes are common methods used in Thrillers although different
subgenres use these methods in different ways.
3. Thriller Sub Genres
Spy Thrillers : In which the protagonist is some form of government agent or
undercover spy. He/she will usually take violent action against enemies, rival
agencies, spies and other government agents. Due to the hysteria in the media
in recent years terrorists have become a subject in modern spy thrillers. The
spy thriller subgenre is based around fictional espionage. The spy film usually
blends action and science fiction genres together however some spy films do
not fall directly on the spy thriller genre rather on the action genre an example
of this would be James Bond. This is because they frequently have scenes with
shootouts, car chases and other elements that’s would be expected from an
action film.
4. Taken
Taken is a spy thriller about a CIA operative Bryan Mills played Liam
Neeson he is a CIA agent because spy thrillers use government agents
has they would be realistic protagonist, who’s daughter is kidnapped
by an Albanian Human trafficking ring based on information given by
another CIA operative. The information also entails that if he does not
find his daughter in the next four days he never will.
The CIA operative finds one of the abductors and starts a chase scene
but in a sudden twist is killed by a car. Which plays on the effects of a
thriller to leave the audience in suspense. Bryan is directed to an
Albanian brothel where he fights of the guards, the use of fight scenes
is important in thrillers it had terror, excitement and to get the viewer
adrenaline going.
He is then mislead when he sees one of the girls with his daughter
jacket, so the audience is been deceived once again but this leads him
to find Marko where he finds out who has his daughter.
In sudden twist we find out that one of Bryan allies is actually corrupt
so Bryan forces him to give up the address of the captors of his
daughter. In a very chaotic climax to the film Bryan engages in
numerous fight scenes and shoot out leading him to a chase scene,
eventually finding his daughter bringing her back home to the United
States
