The document discusses what defines a thriller genre, including elements of suspense, action, and resourceful heroes. It then analyzes three specific thriller films - The Bourne Ultimatum, Inception, and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - summarizing their plots and identifying narrative conventions used. Finally, it provides definitions for terms like genre, character ethos, and protagonist as well as examples of thriller subgenres and popular thriller films.

1. Research
Elvisa Vali

2. What is a thriller?
A thriller is a book or film which is designed to keep the reader or viewer on edge with suspenseful and sensational action.
Thrillers have also been produced in the radio, theater, and television media. Thrillers typically involve sudden plot twists, for
example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen. This suspense can get almost unbearable, especially in a long
piece or a television series. Thrillers also have a lot of action, which is often chaotic, and they typically feature resourceful heroes
and exotic settings. The plots of thrillers can vary widely. Some are supernatural, for example, centering around mystical
antagonists. Others are scientific or medical in nature, forcing their protagonists to contend with biological agents or mysterious
scientific happenings. Some are simply straight mysteries with clever, horrific, or intriguing antagonists, while others be focused
on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters

3. Analysis of films
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• Inception
• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Bourne Ultimatum:
The plot of this film is about a man that’s trying to find out who he is but in-between all of that he is accused of something he has not done, he finds himself in
even more trouble as he discovers more things. This cliffhanger make the audience feel on edge and excited to find out how he over comes all of this trouble.
The writers use various conventions to convey that this is a thriller film. For example, narrative trajectory- The audience experience an powerful identification
with Bourne and his willingness to stay alive throughout the movie. Bounded World – Bourne is isolated and is obliged to overcome the circumstances on his
own also he has to isolate himself due to betrayal. Also timescape is used to show that Bourne has little time to fix everything before his enemies kill him, this
keeps the viewers hooked into the suspenseful plot. Lastly Bourne discovers that the only way to stay alive is through self reliance and that he has to be
independent so the larger community is not affected; this is called character ethos. The films subgenres are action and crime.
Inception
A complicated film based on the wonders of dreams. The main character, Dom Cobb is a skilled thief; stealing valuable secrets from deep within the
subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. For this film to be a Personal quest based thriller film four conventions are
simultaneously used all through the film. Narrative trajectory – Cobb’s character is compelled to achieve a personal quality of a moral crisis that demands
immediate action. Due to Cobb’s ability he is an international fugitive which has cost him everything he ever loved, to have a chance at redemption he must
accomplish a task that could risk his life. Timescape is used because Cobb’s quest takes weeks/months for him to come to grips with the personal
quest, although an extreme even will always loom. Last but not least the characters in the film struggle with the conflict between equivocal virtue versus
moral certitude to determine the value of integrity. The subgenres of this thriller film are personal quest, adventure and mystery.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is adapted to the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson. A journalist Mikael Blomkvist investigates a disappearance almost 40 years
ago. The protagonist in the film (Mikael Blomkvist) is aided by a young women who helps him with his investigation. As they work together they uncover
things beyond anything they have ever imagined. The codes and conventions of this film is as following. In crime thrillers, there is usually really fast paced
music played to set the mood for the film like in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Both characters in the film are usually dressed in dark clothes, the female in
the film is a pierced, tattoo, punk computer hacker which makes the audience question if she is the protagonist or the antagonist, if she is really good or bad;
this sets a deferral atmosphere for the viewers. The subgenres of this thriller film are crime, drama and mystery.

4. What is a genre?
Genre is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art and entertainment, E.g music or films. Genres are formed by
conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of old one are discontinued. Often , works fit into
multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions.
Character Ethos:
A comparatively uninvolved character is drawn into an increasingly large menace, and discovers that the only way to remain alive
is through self-reliance, by exposing the malevolent evil before it can assault the larger community.
Protagonist Research:
A movie succeeds to the extent that its audience identifies with the film’s protagonist (and often with the antagonist as well) The
protagonist of a thriller film is a character who plays the main role, a character that the viewers empathize with. Also the
protagonist usually figures in real life situation so that the viewers understand them better.
Antagonists
Billy – SAW
Ben Willis – I know What You Did Last Summer
Jennifer Check – Jennifer’s Body
Richard Fenton – Prom Night
Jame Gumb – Silence Of The Lambs

5. Subgenres and examples of thriller films
Comedy Drama Mystery Detective/Crime Horror Thriller Action
Adventure
Sucker Punch No Country Rear Window No Country For Night Of The Inception The Bourne
Old Men Living Dead Ultimatum
The Guard The Dark Knight Vertigo Pulp Fiction Paranormal The Sixth Sense Casino Royal
Activity
Fargo Unknown Seven The Departed Psycho Limitless Children Of The
Men
Johnny English Taxi Driver North by The Silence Of Halloween Jaws Season Of The
Northwest The Lambs Witch
Insidious Challenging The usual Momento The exorcist Black Swan The Matrix
suspect