Thriller
Common elements:
- suspense and tension (created through pacing, sounds, music, and delay of events
- isolated locations (old houses, dark woods, space)
- a mystery that the audience cannot fully understand
- emotional investment within the characters
Common narratives:- the final survivor
- the "ticking clock"
- escalating danger
- retribution/nemesis
- the unknown threat
Common techniques:- eerie or silent moments
- contrast between light and dark lighting, along with shadows
- camera work (POV of being watched, close ups, handhelds, etc.)
- jump scares
- fast pacing during action and violence and slow pacing to build suspension
Films over time
- "The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog" (1927)
The Lodger was Alfred Hitchcock's first true thriller and a Jack the Ripper story. It is about a mysterious women who rents a room in a London boarding house. This leads with brutal murders of blonde women by a serial killer known as "The Avenger". This was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Michael Balcon through Gainsborough Pictures. It shaped the genre by establishing Alfred Hitchcock's signature style.
- "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1934)
This film if a famous mystery-thriller known for its suspense, political intrigue, and iconic song "Que Sera, Sera". It is about an American couple whos son gets kidnapped on vacation by international spies to prevent a revealing plot from being released. It was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock with the help of Herbert Coleman and the production companies Filwite Productions and Spinel Entertainment. It shaped the genre by mastering suspense through ordinary people in extraordinary situations.
This film was an experimental Alfred Hitchcock thriller. It is about 2 arrogant college friends who murder a classmate, hide the body, and host a dinner party for the victim's friends and family. This film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by both Alfred and Sidney Bernstein through Transatlantic Pictures. It shaped the genre by pioneering cinematic techniques.
This film is a psychological thriller about a former detective who develops acrophobia, a fear of heights. He becomes obsessed with recreating the image of a women, leading him to obsession, manipulation, guilt, and the lines between fantasy and reality. This film is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and Herbert Coleman. It shaped the genre by shifting focus from whodunit to a deep dive into psychological obsession.
It is a classic thriller about a recently blinded woman who is terrorized in her apartment by criminals searching for a doll stuffed with heroin which her husband accidentally brought home. She uses her knowledge of darkness to out smart them in a tense cat-and-mouse game for survival. This film is directed by Terence Young and produced by Mel Ferrer. It shaped the genre by pioneering psychological suspense through sensory deprivation.
It is a film about a giants great white shark terrorizing the fictional seaside resort town of Amity Island, forcing a police chief, marine biologist, and professional shark hunter to hunt the beast. It is based on a novel created by Peter Benchley. This film is directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown. It shaped the genre by pioneering the "fear of unknown" through suspense.
This is a film about a college student who discovers a severed human ear in a field in his small town, leading him to a dark rabbit hole into a sinister underworld of kidnapping, sadism, and hidden depravity. It is directed by David Lynch and Produced by Fred Caruso. It shaped the genre by pioneering surreal neo-noir, blending idyllic suburbia with deep psychological horror, creating villain's, and exploring forbidden desire.
This film is about s surgeon wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, who escapes custody to find the real killer. This film is directed by Andrew Davis and produced by a number of people such as Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson, Peter MacGregor-Scott, Stephen Joel Brown, and Nana Greenwald. It shaped the genre by masterfully blending classic suspense with modern action.
It is a crime thriller about a Massachusetts State Police in the police department and a state trooper undercover in the mob, both working for an Irish mob boss. It follows the intense cat-and-mouse game as both men try to uncover the identity of each other before their own cover is blown. This film is directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Brad Pitt, Grad Grey, and Graham King. It shaped the genre by intensifying the focus on moral ambiguity, high-stakes deception, and gritty realism.
It is a psychological thriller about the disappearance of Amy Dunne on her 5th wedding anniversary, focusing on her husband who becomes the prime suspect amidst intense media scrutiny and the unraveling of their seemingly perfect marriage. This film is directed by David Fincher and produced by Arnon Milchan, Joshua Donen, Reese Witherspoon, and Cean Chaffin. It shaped the genre by popularizing the unreliable narrator.
This film is one of the most recent thrillers produced. It is a psychological thriller about a woman with a criminal past, who takes the job of a maid for a a wealthy family. She discovers dark secrets, manipulation, and danger, especially from the unpredictable wife and suspiciously kind husband. It was directed by Paul Feig and produced by Paul Feig, Todd Lieberman, Laura Fischer, and Carly Kleinbart. It shaped the genre by subverting expectations through unreliable narrators, deep psychological manipulation, and a slow-burn build-up of domestic tension.
Sub-genres
- Psychological Thriller: a focus on the mental and emotional states of the characters
EX: "The Silence of the Lambs"
- Action Thriller: relies on fast-paced physical action, dangerous situations, and often a race against time to create suspense.
EX: "Extraction"
- Crime Thriller: centers on criminal activity, often highlighting the perspective of criminals or the intense pursuit of the criminals through the law enforcement
EX: "Memories Of Murder"
- Spy/Espionage Thriller: deals with international intrigue, secret agents, and government conspiracies
EX: "The Bourne Identity"
- Legal Thriller: centers on the justice system, where legal professionals and lawyers face dangerous cases
EX: "A Few Good Men"
- Supernatural Thriller: includes elements of the paranormal, like psychic abilities or ghostly occurrences
EX: "The Conjuring"
Movie Covers
"The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog"
"The Man Who Knew Too Much"
"Rope"
"Wait Until Dark"
"Jaws"
"Blue Velvet"
"The Fugitive"
"Gone Girl"
