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Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. Thriller films tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. A thriller is a type of genre that is designed to create suspense within the viewers using suspenseful and sensational action. Thrillers are aimed to thrill the audience – that is to startle, shock and scare, but thriller need not involve gore like the conventions of a typical horror movie.
Codes and Conventions of a Thriller Suspense Red hearings (deliberately put in, to try and confuse the audience) Cliff-hangers Villain driven plot Twists Casts: Investigators Damsel of distress Good vs. evil Scored soundtrack to influence audience
Crime Thrillers The conventions of a crime thriller often focus on the criminals and their leading up to a crime, then solving the mystery or tracking down the criminal. This particular sub-genre consist of fast paced scenes and fiction based plots and its more dramatic and realist than other sub genres of a thriller. Crime thrillers often emphasise on the action over psychological elements. The themes includes serial killers, murderers , robberies, chases, and heists, etc.
Mystery Thrillers The mystery thriller relates to crime thrillers. The typical plot of a mystery thriller is crimes that must be prevented, these crime mainly include: assassinations, terrorism, serial or mass murderer, or the overthrow of the governments. It typically focuses on an investigator or a detective trying to undercover the crime. This particular sub-genre allows the audience to find out information and also try to undercover the mystery. This causes more dramatic effect and suspense which follows the conventions of the thriller genre.
Psychological Thrillers This particular sub-genre focuses heavily on the mental levels of characters, and how danger is exposed to them mentally rather on a physical level. This sub-genre also incorporates elements of mystery, drama and often overlap with the horror genre. Characters of a psychological thrillers no longer rely on physical strength to battle their mentally unstable state. This sub-genre unusually consists of two or more characters preying up one another by playing devilish games or physically trying to destroy another's mental state. The plot plays with audiences minds, making them think something when rather it’s the other, which causes suspense within the audience.
Types of Thrillers Science Fiction Thrillers This subgenre consists of the manipulation of sophisticated technology in a plot. For example, having walking robots in both IRobot and artificial intelligence, or dodging bullets in matrix which most of the plots of this subgenre is manipulating new technology, in to create suspense in the film. This also include elements of action and science fiction, thus creating a more realistic approach as typically the plots revolve around sophisticated technology. The themes of this sub genre often include futuristic technology and weapons.
Supernatural Thrillers This subgenre consists of elements that are unworldly mixed with suspense, tension and twists. The typical plot of a supernatural thriller is that the protagonist and/or the villain has supernatural powers that lead them to the source of the problem in the plot. If the plot consist of a villain with an ability of supernatural powers, this is usually cause by demons/devils/ghosts which is slightly linked to the religious thriller. The reason for this is they would like it to be slightly realistic by adding religious elements to it , thus creating more tension with in the audience.
The Sixth Sense (1991) • Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan • Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette • Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller • Plot: A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they are dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. • Quote: “I see dead people”.
Misery (1990) • Directed by: Rob Reiner • Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth • Genre: Thriller • Plot: A famous novelist is "rescued" from a car crash by an obsessed fan. Quote: “He didn't get out of the COCKADOODIE CAR!” • Based on a novel by Stephen King • Best Actress Academy Award – Kathy Bates
Alfred Hitchcock 1899-1980 Born in London, moved to California in 1939 Known for well-made SUSPENSE thrillers! Moniker: the Master of Suspense Neo-Hitchcockian thrillers look the way they do today because of Hitchcock.
Hitchcock is an auteur. Auteur—a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp. • : • Appears in cameos in his films, usually in the beginning so the audience doesn’t get too distracted looking for him and lose focus on the story. • Bathrooms are often a plot device. Liked using a shot to feature a female’s hairstyle. TRADEMARKS
THEMES • Themes often of “wrong man” or “mistaken identity.” • Icy Blonde women…harsh blondes. Sexually enticing but frigid—cold emotion. • Motifs of lost or assumed identities.
MacGuffin—object of device which drive the plot and are of great interest but prove insignificant and are forgotten by the audience once they’ve served their purpose.
Psycho (1960) • Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock • Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, Martin Balsam • Genre: Horror/Thriller • Plot: A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother. • Quote: “A boy’s best friend is his mother”. • Filmed in b/w. • First American film to show a toilet flushing onscreen.. • Movie split in two parts.
Strangers on a Train (1951) • Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock • Starring: Farley Grangers, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman • Genre: Thriller • Plot: A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder...a theory that he plans to implement. • Quote: “I may be old-fashioned, but I thought murder was against the law”.
