There are 8 main elements of the Thriller genre. They are:
1. The central protagonist's faces death, their own or someone else's.
2. The forces of antagonism must initially be clever and/or stronger than the protagonist.
2. The forces of antagonism must initially be clever and/or stronger than the protagonist.
3. The main storyline for the protagonist is either a quest or the character who cannot be put down.
4. The main plot-line focuses on a mystery that must be solved.
5. The film's narrative construction is dominated by the protagonist's point of view.
6. All action and characters must be credibly realistic/natural in their representation on screen.
7. The two major themes that underpin the Thriller are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals.
8. One small but significant aspect of a great thriller is the presence of innocence in what is seen as an essentially corrupt world.
Thriller is a type of genre that concentrates and revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim of a general Thriller film is for the audience to be on the edge of their seats and the anticipation of what is to come. It is a large and diverse genre, with many different thrillers having a wide range of interests for their audiences. Thriller films fall into different sub genres. However, whatever sub genre this might be they will all emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces.
There are six main sub genres within the thriller genre, these are:
- Action Thriller
- Crime Thriller
- Film-Noir
- Psychological Thriller
- Science Fiction Thriller
- Religious Thriller
Action Thriller
Physical action is used to create suspense in Action Thrillers. These types of films will include continuous motion and physical action such as physical stunts, chases, fights, battles and races. The protagonist danger that he is facing will be contributed by these various different scenes in action thrillers.
Crime Thriller
This sub genre incorporates suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot and usually concentrate on a serial killer, murderer, manhunt or a robbery. Despite being similar to traditional crime films, this sub genre's storyline usually focuses on around the protagonist and the criminal. Physical and action aspects are also used in Crime Thrillers to create suspense and tension.
Film-Noir
Not only is 'Film-Noir a sub-genre of the Thriller genre, but a term used for a specific, stylistic type of crime-drama or thriller that was popular during the 1940s and 1950s. With the main character usually being a cynical hero, this sub-genre relies on various flashbacks and a narrative voice to explain the intricate plot. The sub-genre gets it's name 'noir' from the black-and-white style with stark lighting effects used.
Psychological Thriller
As well as the attributes expected in a normal thriller, Psychological includes elements of drama and mystery into the sub-genre. Physical threat and the mind are used to create tension and suspense in this sub genre and the protagonists in these films must use their mental resources to solve the situation or plot. Often due to their nature, films in this sub genre cross over towards the Horror genre.
Science Fiction Thriller
Science based and hypothetical themes are incorporated to create the plot for Science Fiction thriller films. Traditionally, heroes, villains, fantastical quests, advanced technology and unexplored locations can be incorporated into this sub-genre to be used to create anticipation and suspense. The 'future-gone-bad' theme will often be explored in Science Fiction thrillers as well as plots that revolve around alien invasions, super-diseases and dystopian scenarios.
Religious Thriller
Religious themes, objects, ceremonies and questions are incorporated to create a Religious Thriller. Many films inside this sub-genre include supernatural experiences not focusing on a certain religion despite some Thrillers revolving around a specific religious place, such as a church. Some typical themes of Religious Thrillers are demon possession, church cover-ups and exorcisms.
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