This document discusses typical character types found in psychological thriller films. These include stalkers, convicts, criminals, and psychotic individuals who are the feared characters that create unpredictability. Innocent victims and characters with innocence or vulnerability are also common to generate sympathy from audiences. Authority figures like police are sometimes subverted when they turn out to be psychotic themselves or unable to help. Many characters have dark pasts or obsessions that drive their present criminal behavior.

1. Convicts,criminals,stalkersorassassins
Characterswitha dark pastPolice FBIor a personof authority Psychoticindividuals
MenacedwomenInnocentvictims
Typical characters present in a psychological thriller film:
Sy fromOne Hour Photo.
Stalkers,convicts,criminalsetc.
are the fearedcharacterof
psychological thrillersandgive the
filmsthe edge of unpredictability
and the thrill factorthat the
audience expect.
Cole Searfromthe SixthSense.
Innocence andvulnerabilityin
characters create sympathyand
almostcausesthe audience torelate
to the character whichputsthe
audience ata vulnerable position
waitingforsomethingbadtooccur.
AmyDunne fromGone Girl
From genderstereotypeswomen
are supposedlyperceivedas
innocentandcaring,whentheyare
portrayedto be derangeditcreates
an extreme senseof fearforthe
audience evenmore thatif itwere a
male estrangedcharacter.
Sara GoldfarbfromRequiemfora
Dream.
These type of characters are usually
obsessedwithbeingorbecoming
somethingtheyare not.Theyare usually
not acceptingof theirmental state and
the audience isoftensympatheticto
theirsituations.
SomersetfromSe7en
Authorityfiguresare perceivedbythe
audience togive filmsasense of order.
Howeverdue tothe nature of the
genre itis usuallyconcludedthatthese
so-calledauthorityfiguresare usually
no helptoanyone bythemselves.
Evan fromThe ButterflyEffect.
The dark past of these charactersis
oftenthe motive fortheirpsychotic
actionsinthe present,usuallythe
moviesfocusistryingtofigure outwhat
was sobad in the pastthat has caused
the character to behave the waythey
do.
Oftencharactershave more than one trait (onprevious page) inordertomake them
more interestingandcreate amore excitingstoryline forthe audience tofollow.Take
TeddyDanielsfromShutterIslandforexample.He beginsasanFBI officer,itisthen
revealedthathe hasa dark past and that he isobsessedwithwhathappenedwhich
explainshiscompulsive behaviour.These twoconventionsof acharacter are perfectly
normal for the audience tocomprehend.Howeverthe majorplottwistof the filmisthat
the character is actuallya psychoticindividualthat isn’tactuallyanauthorityfigure atall.
Thisconfusionof conventionsforone charactercreatesanimpulsivestoryline forthe
audience totry andcomprehendaswell asbewilderthem, whichistobe expecteddue to
the genre.