A thriller is a movie genre that relies on suspense and anticipation to engage audiences. It keeps viewers wondering what will happen next throughout the film. Main characters in thrillers often face challenges as they try to solve a mystery or complete a task. Common thriller subgenres include crime thrillers, action thrillers, film noir, psychological thrillers, science fiction thrillers, and religious thrillers. These genres typically feature certain plots, themes, characters, and cinematic techniques to generate tension and suspense. Alfred Hitchcock was a pioneering director of many classic thriller films.

1. What is a Thriller?
By Tyra Chuck

2. What is a thriller?
ANTICIPATION
• A thriller is a movie that revolves around anticipation or suspense to ‘what is going
to happen next?’.
• This leaves the audience intrigued to what is going to happen next and keeps them
interested in the plot of the movie and where about of characters and events.
• Anticipation and suspense is carried out from the start to the end of the movie. It is
on-going in order to keep the audience interested, on the edge of their seat and
allows them to follow the plot of the film and/or the characters and events.
CHARACTERS
• Characters (main) are often faced with a series of challenges or task in order to
complete in order to solve the mystery in the movie.
• Female characters are often show as being a venerable damsel in distress or as
opposite, to which they are shown as to having masculine behaviour such as being
violent.

3. Examples of a thrillers
• Crime Thriller
• Action Thriller
• Film Noir
• Psychological
Thriller
• Science
Fiction
Thriller
• Religious
Thriller

4. Action Thriller
• An action work will generally have a fast-paced, centred, and definite plot.
• It generally follows to the hero cycle faithfully, and its plot revolves around
character development.
• Packed movies that keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
• The plots of most action thriller films are the same which contain (typical code
and convention); exploration, crime fighting , explosions, psychopaths ect.

5. Crime Thrillers
• Thriller and crime combined.
• Features mainly a robbery, serial killer or a
murderer.
• Associated with high levels of psychological
and action of which combined creates
tension and suspense for the audience.

6. Film Noir
• Distinct type of drama thriller.
• Was popular during the 1940s &50s.
• The main theme is black and white but has
effective lighting.
• The main character is typically the hero.
• Has a complex plot but is normally explained
through flashbacks and over voice of character.

7. Psychological Thriller
• Drama and Mystery film
• The main character relies on
knowledge to solve a situation or
mission.
• Often has a crossover with horror
films due to the above.

8. Science Fiction Thriller
• Has science based themes.
Theme
Typical codes
and
conventions:
• Mainly revolves around alien
invasions
• Suspense is created through the use
of unexplored locations.

9. Religious Thriller
• Has elements of religious themes,
that normally reflect on questions,
ceremonies and conspiracies.
• Includes supernatural events,
demon possession and church
secrets/ cover ups.

10. Main Themes
Narrative
Themes
• Complex theme that questions the
audience into what is happening or
going to happen next.
• Often add false clues to deceive the
audience show how something may be
finished/gone away but its not.

11. Key Characters
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•
•
•
•
•
•
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Psychopaths
Killers
Innocent victims (e.g. females)
Convicts
Escaped convicts
Criminals
Stalkers
People involved in a twisted relationship
Police
Terrorists

12. Codes and Conventions
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Low key lighting
Shadows
Quick cuts
Tension music to add suspense

13. Alfred Hitchcock
• English film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the
suspense and psychological thriller genres.
• Examples of his movies directed are: Psyco, The birds, rear window and
notorious.