Thrillers
ThrillersThemes and Motifs
The thriller genreA thriller is considered a range of
overlapping sub-genresMain elements are suspense, tension and
excitementRegarded as fast pace and rousing, with the intention of
providing thrills and keeping the audience at the edge of their
seatsCommon sub-genres include psychological thrillers, crime
thrillers, erotic thrillers and mystery thrillers
Story in ThrillersThrillers generally follow a deep
psychological story where the protagonist often faces potential
death from the antagonist. The antagonist prominently remains a
mystery for a large portion of the film. Suspense is essential to
be implemented in thriller films as it is part of what defines
thriller films in their respective genre. Moments of extreme
suspense are usually the most memorable part of a film.
Common ThemesThemes of thrillers vary between each sub-genre but
some elements and themes are present in most thriller films. These
include:The death of the protagonistThe antagonist is generally
stronger/more intelligent than the protagonistThe desire for
justice and morality of individualsPolice
Crime ThrillersCommon themes include revenge, ransoms, heists,
kidnappings, serial killers, hostages and a mysterious object (e.g.
briefcase).These themes appear in:M (1931), where there is a child
murdererThe Bandit (1996), where the main character tries to get
revenge upon his former best friendHigh and Low (1963), where a
characters son is kidnapped and held for a ransom The Silence of
the Lambs (1991), where the antagonist is a serial killer who skins
his/her victims
Psychological ThrillersCommon themes include mind games,
obsession, possession, stalking, confinement and horror of
personality.These themes appear in: Vertigo (1958), where the main
character develops an obsession for the woman he is
investigatingThe Exorcist (1973), where a teenage girl is possessed
by a mysterious entityThe Game (1997), where the main character
receives a live action game which slowly consumes his life
Paranoid ThrillersElements such as fringe theories, false
accusations and paranoia are common in paranoid thrillers. This
appears in the film; The Manchurian Candidate
Spy ThrillersThreats to entire countries, spies, espionage,
conspiracies, assassins and electronic surveillance are common in
spy thrillersThese themes commonly appear in the, James Bond
films
From this shot the antagonist is shown to be mysterious.Low
angle shows protagonist is inferior to antagonistWeather shows
darker tone of the film
Strong theme of stalking and murder are portrayedClich slasher
type antagonistSense of mysteryDeath of Protagonist early in the
filmExtreme Suspense
POV shot to reveal dominance of antagonistDistress and themes of
horror implementedStrong link to crime and horrorLengthened out
sequence to create tension
Strong mental battle of antagonistThe unknown is
mentionedConcludes with major plot twistProtagonist is faced with
moral decisions
Notable Thriller ContributersNovelists closely associated with
the genre include; Alfred Hitchcock, M Night Shyamalan, Martin
Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, John Grisham, Eric Ambler, Ted Bell, Dan
Brown, Lincoln Child, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton,
Nelson DeMille, Richard Ferguson, Ian Fleming, Ken Follett,
Frederick Forsyth, Graham Greene, Paul Levine, Robert Ludlum,
Alistair MacLean, Andy McNab, David Morrell, James Phelan, Douglas
Preston, and Matthew Reilly.
