2. What is a thriller?
A thriller is a genre that is found in television,
movies and also literature. Thrillers use suspense in
order to make the audience wonder what is going
to happen next and usually have a horror or crime
theme. Thrillers normally have that element of
surprise, extraordinary things happening to ordinary
people.
3. Conventions of a thriller
Plays with the viewers mind
Quick cuts and constant change of camera angles
Low lighting and dark colours helps connote
mystery.
flash backs
makes the audience think
Surprises & constant twists in the plot-keeps to
audience on edge, wanting to know what could
happen next.
4. What makes a good thriller film?
■ A good thriller showcases intense excitement; building up suspense, tension &
anticipation of things to come.
■ As a movie genre it should provide thrills from a variety of circumstances
presented in the story where either the protagonist or main character encounters
serious situations.
■ Must be fast paced- this could show a plot twist waiting to happen.
■ Simple things such as the speed of music increasing as the tension builds up is
essential to help develop the plot.
■ The use of lighting helps to create shadows which builds mystery.
■ The story should not be elongated as it could then be boring.
5. Thrillers are normally marketed at
people who enjoy psychological movies,
people who like to think and be apart of
the movie experience. The main themes
of a thriller is suspense and tension, one
may say late teens to late twenties and
thirties, this is solely because people
within this age range are most likely to
have appreciation for the all the
anticipation thrillers contain and the art
form of how the story line was built up
when all the dots of the thriller is
connected.
Target audience
Usually, the target audience of most
thrillers is both, males and females
aged 15 or over (THIS IS BECAUSE
THEY OFTEN INCLUDE A LOT OF
VIOLENCE), Moreover they tend to be
able to stomach it all a much better.
6. ■ The two genres speak for themselves in
terms of their purpose. Thriller movies,
were created to “thrill” the viewers.
That’s why thrillers easily make their
viewers sit at the edge of their seats but
not to the point of making them scared.
However, horror films are designed to
“horrify” their viewers. The purpose of a
horror is to make you shout, scream, or
even jump from your seats. There can
be horror thriller’s that does contain the
suspense and action of thriller but also
the gruesome gore from horrors e.g.
cabin in the woods
Horro
rs vs
thrille
rs
