Thriller Genre History Research

Thriller is a genre that started around the 1920s-1930s and is used in literature, television and (in the case of my studies) film, in order to create suspense and tension which lead to excitement. It is closely related to the horror genre in that they evoke specific emotions such as fear and anxiety. An example of this is a ‘wet’ horror like ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (2003) which is more graphic and utilises more blood than other ‘dry’ thriller films like ‘The Shining’ (1980) where the purpose of it is to build up tension and suspense. This genre also stems off into different sub-genres which provide variety in the fact we have the expectations of a thriller film but with a twist in terms of the context. Examples of these hybrids include psychological, espionage, sci-fi, action and so on - the (main) basis of the film will contain aspects of the thriller genre but with an overall theme that is not solely purposed on getting a thrill out of the audience. 

Adventure Thriller

Political Thriller

Historical Thriller

In thriller films, as the audience, we know what is likely to occur in the film, but we don’t know when, where or how. This technique is used by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock to capitalise on our expectations in order to use it to thrill us. The structure of a thriller film will usually make use of restricted narratives to entice the viewer which then leads to a narrative arc drawing them in where finally the plot climax is reached.

Examples of these can include fugitives on the run from the law, stalkers/psychos who prey on the weak or (innocent) victims caught up in a dangerous situation.

As mentioned before, the thriller genre not only applies to films but also books. In fact some thriller films have actually been adapted from novels because of the way they are structured, the conventions the authors utilise and the detail in the story which the director's make use of. The reviews, outlines and guides that are given about thriller genre in the video above about novels can and are also be applied to thriller films which I shall later use during the planning of my own short film.

Directors employ contextual techniques which are commonly used in the thriller genre and include:

Enigma codes are when mysteries and questions are set up on purpose for the audience to deliberate.

Action codes are where an event on screen leads the audience to a following action.

Dramatic irony gives the audience important/sensitive information that some of the characters do not possess so that it builds on their anticipation.

‘Red herrings’/‘MacGuffins’ provide false information to the audience to mislead them from the truth which is revealed later on or at the end. 

Furthermore, on set and during post-production is when thrillers are properly pieced together. This involves elements of mise-en-scene, e.g. low key lighting, tense/dramatic scores, actor appearance (casting)... As well as, classically used close ups, quick cutting and prolonged shots. 

Poster for 'Jaws' (1975) -
This poster makes use of dramatic irony in the
fact that the swimmer is unaware of the shark
but we are.

This picture is an example of a 'red herring' because as the
audience we would see one thing and interpret it as literal
truth, however this may not be the case (portrayed by shadow)

Below are examples of thriller clips such as 'Shutter Island' (2010), 'The Sum of All Fears' (2002) and 'Inception' (2010) that I have analysed.

Psychological:

Here we can see that the scene contains low key lighting and silence which build tension through our expectation of a thriller genre film. There is an overhead shot of him walking towards a corridor which gives the view that he is weak and vulnerable especially because he is alone at the moment. A long shot of the corridor and a prolonged zoom in is portrayed to give the effect of suspense since we don't know what is going to happen on his journey or what to expect at the end. Moreover, the fact that he is lighting a match reflects his fear and anxiety as well as representing his hope burning out. It is connoted that it is a psychological film in this scene through the fact that he is wearing an entirely white outfit as they do at psychological correctional facilities. 

Action:

From this we can see that the clip is building up to the point when the aircraft carrier is hit through the aspects  of low key lighting, ambient warning sounds and the score which builds up to the climax of the event. At the beginning of the clip, the first shot is an overhead one which connotes that it is vulnerable especially given that the carrier is out alone at sea at night. Also this clip makes use of dramatic irony through the fact that we can see that the pilots are about to fire at the carrier but the crew are almost unaware. A crane shot zooms out towards the end to show the audience the aftermath of the attack (initial thrill).

Science-Fiction:

The clip is tense from the start as we can see that this is a hostage situation. In the background the score is subtle and builds up to the point when the protagonist makes his move and carries on the theme of suspense due to the enigma about how he will escape. Furthermore, the situation is made even more tense for the audience when the protagonists partner is tortured with a bullet to the foot which brings perspective to the audience and therefore brings out their anxiety. It is connoted that it is a science-fiction thriller when it cuts from the accomplice being shot to him awakening (in the real world) portraying the concept of dreams (which in a way borderlines on a psychological thriller) as well as later on when we see a close up of a device which is likely to be causing the dream. Near the end of the clip, everything is put in slow-motion and goes silent as we are about to be shown what a "kick" is which builds suspense as we don not know what it entails.