Defining a Thriller.

Thriller's are a vague genre of film, that can be broken down into many catagories. These catagories are genres such as, a Crime Thriller, a Horror Thriller, an Action Thriller and the Psychological Thriller. Thrillers are films that create tension and suspense, and put the audience on edge.

Do Thrillers follow rules?

• Some film makers will claim that 'there are no rules', or that 'rules are made to be broken.'
• However, most would agree that there are certain conventions that mainstream films observe in order for them to be acceptable to the mass audience.
• We have discovered that there are many different types of thrillers, all including different technical aspects, plot generalisations and character types.

A few typical aspects of a thriller are things such as :

•  Plot twists.
• Enigma's.
• They all contain a protagonist (hero).
• All contain suspense.
• Kidnapping.
• They are usually set out in large cities, such as New York.
• Femme Fatales.
• Mind games.
• Alot of point of view shots are used.
• Death and murder.
• Cliffhangers.
• Explosions.
• Car Chases.
• Fights.
• Antagonists,
• and dramatic music.

All of the above, are general aspects of a thriller, and can create great tension and suspense, if used correctly in a film.

A few well known thrillers that contain some of the typical thriller conventions are:






Phone Booth.

and, Hostage

Suspense and Shock

If there were a scene in a classroom, with students and a teacher, and the camera reveals that there is a bomb under the table to the audience, however, the characters in the film do not know, this creates suspence and is called dramatic irony. It makes the audience question whether or not the characters will be saved, and whether or not the bomb will go off... thich then creates shock, due to the fact that the audience are paying so much attention to the fact that the bomb my go off, and that the characters don't know, that when the bomb actually does explode, it comes as a shock.