History/Background:
The main elements of the thriller genre are the use of suspense, tension and excitement.
Prime subgenres are mystery, crime and psychological thrillers.
A thriller is a villain-driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles the hero must overcome.
“A genuine, standalone thriller is a film that provide thrills and keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the character(s) is placed in a menacing situation, a mystery, or a trap from which escaping seems impossible. Life is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspectingly or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation.”
“These are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.”
Thrillers often include themes such as political conspiracy, terrorism, or romantic triangles with the end result often being a murder.
Key films:
- Psycho (1960)
- Se7en (1995)
- Memento (2000)
- Rear Window (1954)
- Vertigo (1958)
- No Country for Old Men (2007)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Key directors:
- Alfred Hitchcock
- David Fincher
- Stanley Kubrick
- Martin Scorsese
- Brian De Palmer
- Ridley Scott
Key actors:
- Cary Grant
- Robert De Niro
- Janet Leigh
- James Stewart
- Leonardo Di Caprio
- Jack Nicholson
Sub genres and contemporary examples:
Some thrillers include elements of other genres, such as:
- Crime thriller (Hostage, Ocean’s 11)
- Disaster thriller (Poseidon, Knowing)
- Mystery thriller (Shutter Island)
- Legal thriller (A Few Good Men)
- Erotic thriller (Eyes Wide Shut, In the Cut)
- Psychological thriller (Misery, Cape Fear)
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