What Is a Thriller?

What Is a Thriller?

A thriller is a fictional book, play or movie that revolves around excitement and it often has a plot that involves a crime, problem or some sort of spying. Suspense and cliff hangers are also incorporated into this type of genre. Entertainment through a thriller is based on keeping the audience interested through the fast-paced pulse raising storylines in which they follow leading up to the climax of the story. Examples of thrillers include: The Lodger (1926), M(1931), Peeping Tom (1960), Dirty Harry (1971), Joy Ride (2001), Hostage (2005) and Unknown (2011).

Although there are sub-genres of thrillers, all of them are similar in various ways through the themes and characters that are used. Themes such as: paranoia, stalking, mind games, kidnapping, assassinations, general death and investigations are featured in thriller films.

There are different sub-genres in which thrillers can be classified into, these are: spy, psychological, conspiracy, crime, erotic, political, supernatural and techno thrillers.

Spy thrillers generally have a main character in which has some form of relationship with a government or has formally had one, and are in some way in rivalry against another government. Examples of spy thrillers include: Casino Royale, Mission Impossible, Live and Let Die, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the Bourne Ultimatum.

Conspiracy thrillers involve the hero/heroine having some form of conflict against a group in which the hero/heroine is the only one who understand the power the group acquires. These films can often be controversial due to their subject matter. Examples of conspiracy thrillers include: The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Marathon Man, JFK, and Edge of Darkness.

Crime thrillers as a sub-genre use highly intensified suspense through crime, in which a criminal is one of the main characters. A lot of attention is also focused on the crimes committed, in which a lot of tension is involved in the build up to them. Examples of crime thrillers include: Brooklyn’s Finest, Takers, The Godfather and American Gangster.

Erotic thrillers involve a high level of sexiness/ eroticism along with sexual relationships playing a big part in the storyline of the film. Nudity and sex scenes are often involved in this sub genre also. Examples of erotic thrillers include: Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill and Single White Female.

Political thrillers often have a protagonist who has the role of hero or heroine who has some form of task in protection or help of a government they are linked to. Examples of political thrillers include: The Manchurian Candidate, Notorious and The Ghost Writer.

Psychological thrillers use conflict in which is mental rather than physical conflict. Characters are hardly ever in dangerous situations through their own doing and they have to rely on their own mental ability to defeat their enemies rather than physical strength. Mysteries are featured in which characters often have to solve and suspense in these films is created through the mental conflict between two or more characters. Examples of psychological thrillers include: Blue Velvet, Shadow of Velvet, Phone Booth, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Panic Room.  

Supernatural thrillers are centred on a non-Earth setting; the setting is a supernatural or fantasy world. Supernatural themes involving occult play a big part in these films. Examples of supernatural thrillers include: What Lies Beneath, The Dead Zone and Lady in the Water.

Techno thriller is probably the newest sub-genre of thrillers and was created mainly due to the industrial revolution. Suspense is linked with high quality technology; the technology plays a big part in the plot. Science fiction is also a common tool used in techno thrillers. Examples of techno thrillers include: Jurassic Park, I,Robot, and Eagle Eye.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_%28genre%29


By David Owootomo