Typical characters in psychological thriller films include stalkers, convicts, criminals, and psychotic individuals who present a threat. Innocent victims and vulnerable characters are also often featured to generate sympathy from audiences and a sense of fear. Authority figures are sometimes included but tend to be unable to provide help due to the nature of the genre. These characters frequently have dark pasts or obsessions that motivate their present dangerous behaviors, and exploring the cause of this through the film's plot is common. Combining character traits can make for more exciting storylines that surprise audiences.

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
there situations.
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 (onpreviouspage) 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 psychoticindividualthatisn’t actuallyanauthorityfigure atall.
Thisconfusionof conventionsforone charactercreatesanimpulsivestoryline forthe
audience totry andcomprehendaswell asbewilderthem, whichistobe expecteddue to
the genre.