The thriller genre

Definitions of 'the THRILLER genre':

Thriller:

1. an exciting, suspenseful play or story, esp. a mystery story.


2. an exciting novel or play, usually about crime, detectives etc
   http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thriller

The 'thriller genre'

Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are used extensively. -Wikipedia

My personal definition for a film thriller would be, 'a film whereby the narrative and imagery is full of suspense to keep the audience involved, whereby the hero is constantly in danger from the villain/undesirable outcome'.

Action thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity/Ultimatum/Supremacy, Mission Impossible
Contain lots of violence with an obvious antagonist, usually involves a chase or race against time. Typically high budget films containing large amounts of weapons, and pyrotechnics, based on a large film set.

Conspiracy thriller: e.g. The X Files, The Da Vinci Code
The hero/heroine has a main confrontation with a powerful villain who appears harmless and innocent to the public (others).

Crime thriller: e.g. Se7en, The Transporter
Are thrillers that give an insight to successful/failed crime attempts, often from the criminal(s) POV. There are physical and illegal confrontations such as murders and robberies, rather than psychological conflicts.

Disaster thriller: e.g. Stormy Weather
The main disequilibrium is due to natural or artificial disasters. E.g. a flood or nuclear explosion.

Drama thriller: e.g. The Illusionist
A slower paced thriller involving a great deal of character and plot development

Erotic thriller: e.g. Fatal Attraction
A thriller with elements of erotic content between the protagonist and the dispatcher/princess/ even villain!

Horror thriller: e.g. The Silence of the Lambs, Saw I-IV
The main character encounters a combination of mental, emotional and physical confrontations. The villain is usually monstrous.

Legal thriller: e.g. The Pelican Brief
The hero confronts the villain both inside and outside of the courtroom. The battle is not only the win the case but also to secure the safety of their own life.

Psychological thriller: e.g. One Hour Photo, Red Dragon
The main characters confrontations are mental and emotional, rather than physical. Characters do not rely on physical strength to overcome the disequilibrium; instead they are reliant on their mental resources. It is not the character or their action codes which are necessarily thrilling, it is more about the reasoning behind their action (are they...obsessed? brought up differently? etc)

Spy thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity
The hero is often a government agent whose confrontations are revolved around opposing agents from rival governmental groups. The Bourne Identity is a great example of this.

Supernatural thriller: e.g. What Lies Beneath
Either the protagonist or the villain has supernatural powers. The hero is usually confronted by a wicked paranormal force or is forced into a situation which is controlled by something incomprehensible.


I think I'd like my opening thriller to be a sub-genre of either; crime, psychological, action or conspiracy. (These are probably the most practical practical too!) I would love to give my thriller opening more psychological elements as i personally find this more enigmatic, which would want the audience to watch the rest of the film. Also my favourite thrillers such as, 'Memento', 'Silence of the Lambs', etc... all usually include psychological elements which makes them, in my opinion, more thrilling and enticing.

Key characteristics of the thriller genre:

Typical thriller themes:

• isolation, loneliness, entrapment, innocence, guilt, claustrophobia, stalking, voyeurism, secrets, suicide, mystery, death/murder, predetermined death, crime, gangster culture, revenge, vulnerability, anxiety, spying, stalk and slash, lawyer-courtroom, film noir, rape revenge, deception, corruption, terrorism, love/romance, sex/seduction, politics, ambiguity, power, money, obsession, torture, heists, complex relationships, danger,tension...

Typical thriller characters:

• lone detectives, confused people, psychopaths, sociopaths, moles, fugitives, assassins, victims, terrorists, a femme fetal, cops, spys, lawyers, drifters, private eyes, police chiefs, loiterers, gangsters, clowns, final girl, innocent children, evil children, hitmen, abused children, sexy tempting women, doctors...
  

Typical thriller iconography:

• shadows, street lights, guns, binoculars, smears, weapons, artificial lighting, metal, dens, attics, basements, alleyways, graveyards, knives, bars, gambling/casinos, mist, money, banks, briefcases, drugs, photos, masks, water, bridges, rain, neon lights, underwater, glass, woodland, candles, low lighting, tunnels, wells, cliff edges, derelict buildings, blinds, cars, fumes, mirrors, CCTV....
  

Typical thriller narrative events, sounds, actions:

• voyeurism, being followed, talking, car or foot chase, scamming, screaming, gunshots, dying, sex scene, sitting in bars/clubs/pubs, creeks, snapshots, polaroids, corpses, stabbing, kidnapping, heists, shouting, recording/footage/CCTV, bin rattles, wind, smashing furniture, glass smashing and tredding, money changing hands, peeping, tied up, searches, phonecalls, meeting, skidding, car engines....
  

Highlighting key characteristics of the thriller genre within 'SCREAM':

Themes in 'Scream':

• stalk and slash, spying, vulnerability, love, obsession, complex relationship, danger, murders, pleading, trickery. I'm not sure if comedy is a theme but because i have also seen 'scary movie' which is a take on this film, along with others, i couldn't help but laugh
  

Characters in 'Scream'

• policemen, victims, news correspondant, best friends, boyfriend, parents, psychotic serial killer(s), confused males, innocent people...

Iconography in 'Scream'

• knives, smears, blood, garage, suburban house, alcohol, rope, underwear, glass, action set mainly at night time, cars, CCTV/live camera, microphones, news vehicle, ducktape, a gun, school building, mobile and house telephones, speakerphone?, black gown, gloves, a mask, glass

Narrative events, sounds and actions within the thriller:

• voyeurism, false villain, foot chase, friends dying, killing victims, romance scene, stalling villains, killing villains,
• gunshots, stabbing , doors slamming, glass smashing, shouts, psychotic laughing, speakerphone voices, car crash noises, popcorn popping, glass bottles smashing and cluttering, body slicing (friend in garage door), draggin across the floor noises, news reporting, punching noises, doors breaking down, running, tripping, phone calls,