1. What is a Thriller?
Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The
aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats.
The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a
mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will
emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main
problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.
Definition: a novel, play, or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime
or espionage.
What goes into a thriller?
-Surprises & Twists
-Plays With Viewers Mind
-Quick Cuts & Change Of Camera Angles
-Music To Add Tension
-Use Of Lighting To Create Shadows
-Mirrors
-Stairs
-From Killers Point Of View
-Flash Backs
-Pass Of Time Sequence
-Make audience think
Examples of Thriller Films:
The Great Escape - A large group of POW’s plan an escape from a German camp in World War
II.
The Silence of the Lambs - An FBI agent develops a relationship with the notorious serial killer,
Dr. Hannibal Lector, in order to gain Lector’s assistance in the hunt for another serial killer.
North By Northwest - Mistaken for a government agent by foreign spies, an advertising agent
travels cross-country trying to survive.
Subgenres:
- Common subgenres are psychological thrillers, crime thrillers, erotic thrillers and mystery
thrillers. Another common subgenre of thriller is the spy genre which deals with fictional
espionage. Successful examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The horror and
genres often overlap with the thriller. Thrillers tend to be psychological, threatening,
mysterious and at times involve terrorism
2. Characteristics of a thriller:
Suspense
Suspense is a crucial characteristic of the thriller genre. It gives the viewer a feeling of
pleasurable fascination and excitement mixed with apprehension, uncertainty, anticipation, tension, and
anxiety. These develop from unpredictable, mysterious and rousing events during the narrative, which
make the viewer or reader, think about the outcome of certain actions. It also gives the person the so-called
"on-edge" feeling. Suspense builds in order to make those final moments, no matter how short, the most
memorable. . The suspense in a story keeps the person hooked to reading or watching more until the
climax is reached, and the thrill and amusement of being suspended, so to speak, finally come to a close.
Story and setting
The protagonist of these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-
genre a thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The cover up of important
information from the viewer, and fight and chase scenes is common methods in all of the thriller subgenres,
although each subgenre has its own unique characteristics and methods.
Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces – the threat is
sometimes abstract or unseen. An atmosphere of creepy menace and sudden violence, such as crime and
murder, characterize thrillers.
Thriller and crime
Often the two overlap. However, pure crime films/novels focus on a specific crime or set of crimes, and solving
the mystery or tracking down the criminal(s), with no or little violence but more drama throughout. Thrillers are
usually fiction-based and fast in pace, whilst crime fiction tends to be more leisurely paced, dramatic and realistic.
Generally, violence is also lacking in crime fiction, but this depends on whether the work is based on the mafia,
where violence is intense.
Some crime films showcase more on the gangster life, personal drama of the criminals and even their
biographical film (e.g. The Godfather). Crime-thrillers, on the other hand, have more threat and suspense in them
and may involve espionage (spying), frequent killings and other non-criminal conflicts (e.g. Heat).
