Research into the Thriller Genre

Research on the Thriller Genre

Thriller and suspense films: These are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, and nerve wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.

A Genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal- to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the ‘edge of their seats’ as the plot builds to a climax. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principle character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces – the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

Thrillers are often Hybrids – there are lots of varieties of suspense-thrillers:

• ·         Action or adventure thrillers
• ·         Sci-fi thrillers (Alien 1979)
• ·         Crime–caper thriller (The French Connection 1971)
• ·         Western thrillers (High Noon 1952)
• ·         Film Noir thrillers (Double Indemnity 1994)
• ·         Romantic Comedy thrillers (Safety Last 1923)

Another closely-related genre is the horror film genre (E.g. Halloween 1978), also designed to elicit tension and suspense, taking the viewer through agony and fear. Suspense-thrillers come in all shapes and forms: there are murder mysteries, private eye tales, chase thrillers, women-in-danger films, courtroom and legal thrillers, erotic thrillers surreal cult-film soap operas, and atmospheric, plot-twisting psychodramas. Thrillers keep the emphasis away from the gangster, crime, or the detective in the crime related plot, focusing more on the suspense and danger that is generated.

Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

Reference: http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html