Research: What is a Thriller? - Miss Begum

What is a Thriller?

What are genres?

A genre is a category of art or entertainment, it can change over time as new genres can be developed and old ones are discontinued. For example the superhero movie genre can be regarded as a mix of action, fantasy and science fiction, which are all genres on their own. They have gained a lot of popularity more recently as opposed to westerns which are less popular now than they were in the 1930s and the 1950s.

The thriller genre mainly uses suspense, tension and excitement as its main components to get a reaction from the view, stimulating their mood. 
Genres are important for audiences as they use genres to filter what sort of films they would enjoy, therefore if a person has a certain preference such as comedy films, then they will most likely pay to watch comedy films and then possibly be open to explore more sub genres such as action comedies. Similarly, genres are also important for the film industry as it allows production companies to increase the number of films they make, according to genre depending on which ones the audience enjoy. Therefore if many people enjoyed thriller films then they will increase the number of thriller films they make, while increasing the quality of them to keep the audience happy.

Examples of thriller films

The thriller genre generally involves a lot of tension to keep the audience watching as it builds towards a climax. The films in this genre mostly stimulates the audience's mood, it heightens feelings of excitement, suspense, anticipation and anxiety. There is also usually a lot of important information held from the viewer, as well as fight or chase scenes. Another common feature of thriller films are plot twists, which change the narrative dramatically in a way the viewer would not have expected, also cliffhangers which leave the audience in awe as they are not given a full explanation as to why events have occurred or any sort of closure to the narrative. 

An example of a thriller is Shutter Island (2010), it is a psychological thriller and it emphasises on the psychology of its characters and their emotional states. In Shutter Island a U.S Marshal and his partner are assigned to investigate a mental institution for the criminally insane, the Marshal has his own reasons for visiting the facility and investigates a missing prisoner case. After realising that he and his partner are essentially trapped on the island and illegal treatments are being taken place, his world turns sideways and begins to doubt his own sanity. 

Another example of a thriller film would be Prisoners (2013), which is a thriller film that focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania, after there is not enough evidence to find the kidnapper, as well as the police following multiple leads, one of the girl's' father takes matters into his own hands - with no boundaries.

Se7en (1995) is an example of a neo-noir psychological thriller. The story revolves around two homicide detectives who are searching for a serial killer who justifies his killings with the seven deadly sins.

Sub-genres of thrillers

Some sub genres of thrillers are action thrillers which generally involve large set pieces, violence and a ‘race against the clock’ storyline. Action thrillers also include chase or fight sequences, to keep the audience watching through tension and excitement. Examples are; Speed (1994), Non-stop (2014) and John Wick (2014). Crime thrillers also usually have chase and fight sequences but these are usually anticipated as a robbery or a crime is about to occur. Crime thriller usually rely more on sudden killings or unanticipated violence. Examples of crime thrillers are; No country for old men (2007), The town (2010) and Silence of the Lambs (1991). Crime thrillers usually focus on the criminals themselves rather than the authority trying to capture them, they offer a lot of suspense due to failed or successful crimes and the viewer not knowing what is going to happen. Horror thrillers are a mix of horror and thriller, they rely on suspense, tension, mystery and some investigation elements, while emphasising on fear, terror and gore. Examples of horror thrillers are Saw, Psycho and Final Destination. Another sub genre is supernatural thrillers, supernatural thrillers bring fantasy and otherworldly elements and mix them with tension and suspense, there is usually a character with an ability or superpowers. Examples of this genre are, The Skeleton key, the sixth sense and The Gift.

Common themes in the thriller genre

Common themes in thrillers usually vary due to the sub-genre, for example in crime thrillers it is mainly ransoms, heists, revenge and kidnappings. Mystery thrillers such as Prisoners (2013) involve an investigation and the whodunit story which is more common. Psychological thrillers have many elements such as mind games, stalking, obsession, accusations and paranoia.

Audience response to thrillers

Suspense is a significant characteristic of the thriller genre; it gives the viewer excitement mixed with tension and uncertainty, which is developed from mysterious and unpredictable events. This is a defining attribute of a thriller as it keeps the viewer watching in anticipation. There are two main ways an audience can respond or react to a thriller. Physiological and psychological reactions. Physiological reactions are when the audience's body responds to what they are watching due to fear, excitement or paranoia, for example an elevated heartbeat and excessive sweating. Psychological reactions could be hysteria or paranoia, some films in the past have caused audiences to be hysterical as they are worried or scared, this can also mean they are constantly thinking about the film as it has affected them, they may have nightmares due to it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the depiction of a great thriller comes from the mixes between the genres and the various components a thriller has. Thrillers are set apart from other genres due to the vast reactions that the audience can have.The thriller genre has a vast amount of sub-genres which also contributes towards the uniqueness of it, although generally thrillers are psychological, threatening and mysterious and one of the most popular sub-genres are action thrillers.