What are Thriller Films?

Through my research into the Thriller genre, it is clear that no two thriller films are the same. There are many sub genres within the genre which allow for variation between every thriller film - Crime, Mystery, Psychological, and Action, for example. Tension, suspense, and mind games are commonplace for most thriller films.

Psychological

Mystery 

Crime / Psychological

NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS:

• Plot twists - an unexpected change in the predicted direction of a film.
• Narrative Retardation - when key narrative information is held back in order to build up the suspense.
• Psychological Themes - some thriller films are based on characters with mental illnesses, other films play mind games to explore psychological themes.
• Mind Games - when a series of events in a thriller film are designed to confuse the audience. This can mislead the audience or just add to the audience pleasure.
• Death Traps - sometimes the protagonist find him/herself in a situation in which death is almost guaranteed.
• Mis Direction - when a narrative leads the audience to predict future events incorrectly. Like plot twists, this will completely throw an audience and will lead to audience pleasure.
• Multiple Lines of Action - when two or more narrative events are unfolding simultaneously and can often come together at the conclusion.
• Revenge - when one character seeks to 'get back' at another. This can be effective for making an audience sympathise with some of the most immoral acts - such as murder.
• Investigation - can be an effective way of making the audience follow the narrative as it unfolds through a detectives eye.
• Kidnap & Ransom - when a character is taken and appears to have gone missing to other characters. Often kidnappers will request money from loved ones.
• Crime
• Confinement - characters can become trapped, limited, restricted etc

CHARACTER CONVENTIONS:

• Private Eyes - a private detective.
• Psychotic Individuals - characters who are mentally disturbed; have a mental illness and/or are insane and psychopathic.
• Cops  - the police. Usually the protagonist.
• Captives - characters who have been imprisoned.
• Stalkers - a character who harasses and/or follows another.
• Menaced Women - women with evil intentions (for example, Kathy Bates' character from Misery).
• Escaped Convicts - when an individual who has been declared guilty escapes the law.
• Criminals
• Innocent Victims - can be effective for creating emotional responses within an audience.
• World Weary People  characters who are 'done with life'. For example, Morgan Freeman's character from SE7EN.