Thriller research Holly Higgins

Varndean College

What is thriller?

• Thriller is a genre of film designed to make the audience feel uneasy and to create suspense keeping them on the edge other their seats.

• Thriller has many sub-genres with the most common being psychological this use well known aspects of life and turns them into something that makes you feel uneasy but actually this is only happening in you head.

Thriller films

• Action Thriller• These films are characterized by fast-paced, hero-centred

narratives full of action and excitement. • Die Hard (1988)• The Hunt for Red October (1990)• Point Break (1991)• Cliff-hanger (1993)• Air Force One (1997)

(http://suite101.com/article/subgenres-of-the-hollywood-thriller-a121577)

• Conspiracy Thriller• Only the hero knows the truth about a particular person, group, or

situation, and he or she must prove it to the rest of the world before disaster strikes and the bad guys win.

• The Manchurian Candidate (1962)• The Conversation (1974)• JFK (1991)

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• Crime Thriller• These films often focus on criminals dealing with a successful

or failed crime and the suspenseful results. Common themes include robberies, murders, and double crosses.

• Double Indemnity (1944)• The Usual Suspects (1995)• Sin City (2005)• No Country for Old Men (2007)

(http://suite101.com/article/subgenres-of-the-hollywood-thriller-a121577)

• Disaster Thriller• These films deal with some type of disaster, either natural or man-

made. Along with sometimes showing the disaster itself, these films concentrate on the chaotic events surrounding the disaster, including survival strategies and the effects on the characters and their loved ones.

• Deep Impact (1998)• Final Destination (2000)• The Day After Tomorrow (2004)• Cloverfield (2008)

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• Erotic Thriller• A sensational genre that is a mix of erotic and thriller films.• Body Heat (1981)• Fatal Attraction (1987)• Basic Instinct (1992)

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• Legal Thrillers• In which the main character is a lawyer and must confront enemies

outside, as well as inside, the courtroom. These heroes are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives.

• A Few Good Men (1992)• The Pelican Brief (1993)• A Time to Kill (1996)

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• Medical Thriller• In these films the hero is a medical professional struggling to solve

some type of dangerous/frightening medical problem.• The Andromeda Strain (1971)• Coma (1978)• Awake (2007)

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• Psychological Thrillers• The ones that mess with your head. In these types of thrillers

the suspense is character-driven rather than action-driven. Characters play deceptive games and try to destroy one another. Sometimes the conflict exists within one character's mind.

• Freaks (1932)• Laura (1944)• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

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• Political Thriller• The main character must ensure the stability of the government

that employs him or her against enormous odds.• Notorious (1946)• The Crying Game (1992)• In the Line of Fire (1993)• Valkyrie (2008)

(http://suite101.com/article/subgenres-of-the-hollywood-thriller-a121577)

• Religious Thriller• Thrillers based on religious teachings, events, and customs.

Religious prophecies, evils unleashed, and ancient scriptures often come into play. At times they can be quite controversial as they examine people's beliefs, not always in a flattering way.

• The Omega Code (1999)• The Da Vinci Code (2006)• Angels and Demons (2009)

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• Spy Thriller• The hero is usually a government agent who must take violent

action against agents from a rival government or terrorists.• Mission Impossible (1996)• The Bourne Identity (2002)

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• Supernatural Thrillers• These are very similar to horror films, but are often not as violent.

The character (could be the hero or the villain) has some sort of supernatural power that must be called upon. Supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling an evil paranormal force or placed in a situation controlled by an other-worldly force beyond their comprehension.

• Cat People (1942)• Carrie (1976)

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The narrative

• The way we tell the story. We start with a storyline we then move towards the start of the problem, when we are greeted with the problem we see someone try and solve the issue and move towards this happening however there is an issue and it becomes harder for it to happen. We do eventually see a resolution in the story and this solves the issues and make the audience feel comfortable.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock13th August 1899- 29th April 1980.

He built a successful career in Britain with silent movies and the early talkies. Soon after he was billed as the best British film producer he moved to Hollywood. He worked with the camera and created a way in which mimicked the basics of a persons gaze allowing the audience to engage in early voyeurism He began to use innovative editing skills. He framed shots to maximise fear, anxiety He made over 50 different films during his vast career spanning six decades.Some of these 50 are: PsychoDial M for murderThe Ring Vertigo

The Silence of the Lambs

The antagonist buffalo bill. His identity stayed hidden for the majority of the film with us only seeing him in the last few scenes. He continued to put pressure on the protagonist with her wanting to find him before her time was up. He was an intelligent character who never let the secret of where to find him out

The protagonist Clarice StarlingShe tried to solve the case of missing women who were then found skinned by using the intelligence of Hannibal lector and his past experiences with the man they are trying to find. She is put into an uneasy situation when entering into the house of this man and as a single woman she is in even more danger. However she is doing to avoid someone else dying and by saving the innocent girl she become the hero of the film.