2. Aims
• The Aims of a thriller is to thrill the audience.
• The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert
and on the edge of their seats
• To build the tension and suspense there are many
various ways of doing so: 1. Music – the
soundtrack of the movie can be extremely
effective at creating the tension, commonly using
violins and high pitched noises. 2. Camera angles
– Switching camera angles fast makes the
audience not understand what is going on in the
shot.
3. Characters
The protagonist faces death, either their own or
somebody else's.
All action and characters must be realistic and
natural in their representation on screen.
The protagonist and antagonist may battle not just
on a physical level, but on a mental one as well.
Either by accident or their own curiousness,
characters are dragged into a dangerous conflict
or situation that they are not prepared to resolve.
4. Setting
Thrillers usually present the world and society as a
dark, corrupt and dangerous place.
The tension usually arises when the character or
characters are placed in a situation, a mystery, or a
trap from which escaping seems impossible.
Life is threatened which tends to be because the
principal character is unsuspectingly or unknowingly
involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly
situation.
5. Sub genres
No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it
will emphasize the danger that the protagonist
faces.
Action Thriller e.g. The Dark Knight
Crime Thriller e.g. Pulp Fiction
Film-Noir e.g. Double Indemnity
Psychological Thriller e.g. Black Swan
Science Fiction Thriller e.g. Alien
