Genre Research - ThrillerJoshua Parkinson

History Of The Genre• Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first to make thriller films. These films

were some of the first to contain aspects of suspense and terror hence the name; Thriller.

• One of Hitchcock’s first thriller films was: The Lodger which released in 1927. It was a silent film so the feeling of suspense was portrayed through the use of music.

• From 1935, the wide majority of Hitchcock’s films were those of the thriller genre.

• George Cukor released a psychological thriller in 1942 called Gaslight. Similar to Hitchcock's style, Cukor’s films contained extreme levels of suspense which drew the general public to the movie theatres.

• In 1960 one of the most iconic thriller films was released: Psycho. Hitchcock's release of this film caused a whole sub genre to be born; Horror Thriller.

• Taking a big leap into the late 90’s in which the world began to see these more graphic thriller films such as: Seven and The Silence Of The Lambs. These films were also part of a sub genre: crime thriller. The wide majority of thriller films are of the sub genre: Crime Thriller.

Examples

Character Types• One of the most common character types found in thriller films would

be the detective/curious person. This character is usually the main focus and protagonist of the film and usually finds themselves solving some sort of mystery whilst either being persuaded or watched by a darker presence.

• Another widely seen character type in thrillers would be the “terrorist” such as those seen in the popular TV drama: Homeland. These characters are out to cause damage and prevent the protagonist from solving the mystery by recking havoc.

• A very popular character type would be the “spy”. Spy's play a big part in the film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”. In most thriller films spy can either been good or bad in terms of whose side they are on. They are usually the main focus of the film.

• The psychopath is also a common character type, most famously seen in “The Silence of the Lambs”. This character has no morals what so ever and has a soul purpose of bringing pain and disaster to the world of the film. These particular characters are never protagonists and are usually the main nemesis of the film.

Iconography• Dull, blue colours

represent the moody atmosphere the film portrays.

• Bold, large font shows that the film is of a heavy and loud nature.

• Music usually consists of an orchestra of strings and low basses to build up suspense in particular scenes.

• Close ups are also common in thriller films once again to increase the level of tension since it restricts the audiences view of the scene so they don’t quite know what is going to be around the next corner.

• Compared to the Bourne film cover, Psycho is very different in terms of the colour palette used. There are a lot more vibrant colours seen such as warm oranges and vibrant yellows. These types of colours were most likely used due to the age of the film since large blockbuster films were only just being released at the time, and directors wanted to draw as many people into theatres as possible so they used bright colours to attract them.

• Once again, large bold font is used to intrigue people.

• Strings are very famously used in this particular film in the iconic ‘shower scene’. Some would say this was a very stressful scene to watch due to the loud strings being played, it built up quite a bit of tension.

Subgenres• Action Thriller - Usually very violent, contains lots of explosions and car chases. This sub

genre usually consists of the protagonist embarking on a quest in which they must defeat an evil force that is planning to take over the world or at least part of the world.

• Conspiracy Thriller - In this sub genre the protagonist must confront a large, powerful organisation whose threat only the protagonist can see. Usually the protagonist must do this task alone.

• Crime Thriller - This sub genre focuses on crime, and is usually from the detectives point of view.

• Spy Thriller - It’s hard to call this a genre mash-up when spy films almost have to be thrillers. This sub genre focuses on the high adventures of field agents. It is usually set against the backdrop of some war.

• Psychological Thriller - In this sub genre a lot of the conflict is mental, rather than physical. The protagonist has become involved in a dangerous situation which literally threatens their sanity, a brilliant example would be Shutter Island. They must use mental prowess to overcome their opponent, whether the battle is inside their own head or it a battle of wits.

• Mystery Thriller - This is a sub genre of both mysteries and thrillers. It differs from a regular mystery by being much more fast-paced, with the protagonist on the run and the threat of another crime serving as a countdown.

• Political Thriller - In this sub genre political relations or the whole government is at stake, and the protagonist is employed by the government to stop the decline. The protagonist may have been low-level before having attracted attention.