WHAT IS A THRILLER ?

By Fahad Nazor

Definition:The basic definition of a thriller is- a broad genre

of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement as its 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. Films of this genre tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, often gruesome, can be very scary, but always rousing and fast-paced,. Thrillers are now one of the biggest, most successful and famous movie genre’s to ever be invented.

Common Subgenres and ‘types’…The thriller genre itself can actually be divided and

categorized into several different types, also known as subgenres, because of how broad and how expanded its elements and characteristics can actually be. These different types include:

 psychological thrillers, crime thrillers, erotic thrillers, mystery thrillers, action thrillers, disaster thrillers, eco thrillers, forensic thrillers, legal thrillers, medical thrillers, political thrillers, mystery thrillers, religious thrillers, romantic thrillers, spy thrillers, supernatural thrillers and techno thrillers.

(main and most recognized ones highlighted in bold).

Subgenres explained 1:

Subgenres explained 2:

Examples:These are just a few famous examples for the

main and most recognized types of thrillers in the film industry…

Psychological Thrillers – ‘Seven’, ‘Inception’ & ‘The silence of the Lambs’

Crime Thrillers- ‘Reservoir Dogs’ & ‘Pulp Fiction’Disaster Thrillers- ‘Twister’ & ‘Armageddon’Supernatural thrillers- 'The Sixth Sense‘ &

‘Carrie’Action Thrillers- ‘The Dark Night’ ‘Inside Man’Mystery Thrillers- ‘Vertigo’ & ‘Code Blue’

Main themes within Thrillers:Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and

suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

You may also find that the horror and action genres often overlap with the thriller genre. Thrillers tend to be psychological, threatening, mysterious and at times involve larger-scale villainy such as espionage, terrorism and conspira.cy

Themes continued…listed Darkness Fright Danger Problems that need solving Mysteries Good and evil or Powerful vs. Vulnerable

battle Antagonists & Protagonists Death, blood & violence Action packed Big ‘Halloween’ style base element

Key Characters found in Thrillers:A common thriller film or movie will always

contain these characters that I’m about to list, everything that follows are the main and most features of thrillers that are used to define an ideal and recognizable thriller!

Antagonist, protagonist, ghosts, super natural beings and creatures, monsters, an evil/violent blood thirsty villain (s), a venerable person (s) which will most commonly be female. a ‘good guy’/hero which is usually a male, Halloween related persona e.g. grim reaper, boogey man etc.

Codes and Conventions:The conventions of the thriller genre I’m focusing on are based on sound,

editing, lighting, missed-en-scene and cinematography. .The codes and conventions are mainly what the audiences expect to see

within a thriller in order to define and recognize it this includes all types of thrillers, including its subgenres, (psychological, action, etc) What audiences expect to see is what producers need to include to attract an audience. The codes and conventions in a thriller always includes a victim, which most of the time is a vulnerable female protagonist and a dominant male character. This lets the audiences relate with the stereotypes and therefore this produces more audience appeal and realism.

Psychological thrillers usually play with audiences minds by giving a false sense of security, using red herrings, or manipulating a character keep audiences guessing. Sound is a large factor in creating tension in a thriller sequence. High pitched strings are usually used to heighten suspense, and eventually the suspense is released with a loud diagetic noise. A thorough use of blood, death, violence, dim dark and dull colors and super natural accruing or spiritual evil are all also big factors that make up the codes and conventions of thrillers that make the genre so familiar with the audience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDPv2HPujCM (video explanation)

Case study: Alfred Hitchcock

“The Master of Suspense knew how to dial H for horror too. Psycho, a seedy story of mother-love, peeping toms and sexual perversion, virtually invented the modern slasher movie, while The Birds informed all subsequent revenge-of-nature flicks.

In Hitchcock’s hands, horror became grounded in everyday mundanity and murder birthed cinematic art. Suspense thrillers like Rear Window and Vertigo prove it’s possible to scare just through process: nerve-jangling anticipation and mental disintegration built up through music, off-kilter camera-angles and playful misdirection.

No latex gore here; just a master filmmaker manipulating his audience.”

Case study: Alfred Hitchcock Continued...

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres, which are my main focus genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, renowned as England's best director, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939 and became a U.S. citizen in 1955.

Over a career spanning more than half a century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognizable directorial style. He pioneered the use of a camera made to move in a way that mimics a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. He framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, all important affect typical inflicted on viewers in thriller movies, and used innovative film editing. His stories often feature fugitives on the run from the law alongside "icy blonde" female characters. Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime. Many of the mysteries, however, are used as decoys serve the film's themes and the psychological examinations of the characters. Hitchcock's films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual overtones. Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, film trailers, and the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he became a cultural icon.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades. Often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, he came first in a 2007 poll of film critics in Britain's Daily Telegraph, which said: "Unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge from these islands, Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which would be utterly different without him. His flair was for narrative, cruelly withholding crucial information (from his characters and from us) and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else.“ The magazine MovieMaker has described him as the most influential filmmaker of all time, and he is widely regarded as one of cinema's and the thriller genres most significant artists.

THE END!