RESEARCH: WHAT IS A THRILLER?- MISS BEGUM

What is genre? Why is it important?
A genre is a type/category that organizes products which are similar to each other. It classifies different sorts of works into distinguished ‘boxes’ so it is easier for the target audience to navigate through their favorites. All genres have different codes and conventions which are then used to group the production. Genre is an important element because it allows to set the target audience and a story line as different genres follow different narratives. Also different genres have unique audiences because people have various tastes. Some of the genres available in the film industry are: Rom-Com, Comedy, Historical and Action.



What is a thriller?
A thriller is a type of genre of film which specializes in making movies that have a plot twist or a constant build up of tension which is then usually released at the end or left with a cliff hanger. The thriller genre has gained importance amongst the audience because of the lack of the horror genre which becomes none existing. In addition thrillers are a great entertainment for those who like a dose of adrenaline and enjoy a little thrill during their 'movie nights'. In addition thrillers are more intense as they can release two types of reactions from the audience, which are:

-Psychological reaction- which plays on the audience’s mind so even after the movie the viewer is still nervous or feels fear in some circumstances and stimulus, just because of the bad connotations which were evident in the film.

-Physiological reaction- which is usually evident during the viewing and causes the spectator to have a physical response. For example some people have goose bumps during a scary or intense scene.
These traits distinguish the thriller genre. Also some viewers watch thrillers because some people enjoy self-scaring.



Examples of thrillers.
Orphan:


A woman has recently miscarried a baby. Together with her husband they decide to adopt a 9 year old Esther who seems to be ‘different from the crowd’. Soon abnormal things happen to the family and then we learn Esther’s horrific past and intentions.

The film classifies as a thriller because of its clear narrative structure and the constant action and tension which keeps the audience excited as well as terrified wanting to find out more. The conventional twist is a common theme of thrillers leaving them craving for the ending.

　

　

Se7en:

The story bases around 2 detectives who are struggling to find a killer who is using seven deadly sins as a motive to kill his victims.

Se7en is a classical thriller because of its conventional use of characters. This is shown by the role of protagonists who are both detectives and are quite experienced. The audience can feel safer as they know what they are doing. There is also a plot twist and a narrative that can be followed easily. There is also a repetitive theme of death which is also very conventional of a thriller.

　


Shutter Island:
Detective Daniels and his partner are off to solve a case of a woman who seems to have vanished from her room in an isolated asylum. Throughout the movie the audience learns about the disturbing lifestyle in the hospital. As the case deepens we learn more about detective Daniels past.

This movie has a great spin and the audience is kept in tension the whole time. The common convention used here is the theme of mystery. The setting is also conventional as it is isolated and obscure making a double effect on the audience.

　

　

　



Sub- Genres.
A sub-genre can be described as a branch that comes off from the original genre. All main genres are divided into smaller more specific groups which makes it even easier to navigate through the different options of films available. Thrillers have their own subgenres and here are some of them:

Psychological Thriller:

Mostly based around the mental state of either the antagonist or the protagonist. Usually psychological thrillers tent to have connotations to hospitals or asylums. This is evident in the film Black Swan where the main female character loses her mind. Psychological thrillers have less bloodshed but more of a complicated narrative which can be interesting to follow.

Action Thriller:

The film has constant intense action scenes like chases and escape. On top of that there are themes of death and mystery or revenge to keep the excitement and make sure that the audience has the appropriate responses expected from the thriller genre. The film Salt is a good example where action is perfectly mixed with thriller as the antihero is running away from the authorities and solving a problem.

Crime Thriller:

The sub-genre has the thriller themes but usually the plot is based on a crime and the aim is to resolve it. The theme of deaths and mystery are conventional to the thriller genre so therefore it still keeps the viewer excited and involved as they try to help resolve the mystery. An example of this sub-genre is the Sherlock Holmes film which focuses on resolving a crime but doesn’t lack in thrill and excitement for the viewer.


Disaster Thriller:


The movie tends to have a massive natural stimulus such as an Earthquake and the characters need to overcome the difficulty by staying alive. The disaster thrillers will still follow the thriller conventions and build suspense. An example of such film genre would be The Road which is a story about a father and a son who fight for survival after an apocalypse.


Mystery Thriller:

A mystery thriller will have an unresolved secret that will create disruption amongst the audience and cause issues for the protagonist. The mystery is usually resolved by the end of the movie which relieves the viewer. An example of a mystery thriller is Psycho which has a serial killer who is unknown throughout the movie and then revealed at the end.

Religious Thriller:

A religious thriller will follow the thriller codes and conventions as well as thriller themes, however there will be a subject matter of religion or faith which will have an impact on the characters as well as the narrative. An example of this genre would be The Prophecy which is a religious thriller about angel Gabriel who comes down on Earth and tries to take a soul which can stop a stalemated war in heaven.


Supernatural Thriller:

A supernatural thriller will create suspense and thrill the unknown and unfamiliar ideas such as ghost or other creatures. This sub-genre specialises in visuals because it has to convince the viewer of something that doesn't necessarily exist. An example of a supernatural thriller would be The Sixth Sense which is about a young boy who can see the dead people.

Spy Thriller:


A spy thriller will be filled with action and fight sequences, similarly to an action thriller. However the narrative will base around spying and a bit of mystery which will be resolved by the end of the movie. An example of a spy thriller is Skyfall which is about a superspy who has failed his past assignment and now needs to prove himself.


Codes and conventions:
The excitement in thrillers are caused by specific codes and conventions that set up the scene to make the audience respond. These are some of codes and conventions used within the thriller genre:

Setting: Usually the location is abandoned and untaken care of which builds up the tension for the viewer as the unknown makes the viewer uncomfortable; they don’t know what to expect. The psychological thriller Gothika has many locations which includes an isolated house and a hospital.

Narrative: Thrillers tent to have a clear structure starting with an equilibrium then disequilibrium and ending with a new equilibrium. There is a clear storyline where as in horrors there is mostly pure bloodshed and less correlation between the scenes which sometimes can be disappointing for the viewer. according to Tedorov's theory of narrative there should be an equilibrium, disequilibrium and a new equilibrium. often thrillers follow this rule.




Characters: There is usually a male protagonist who is expected to ‘safe the day’. These characters tend to be experienced detectives or officers as that way the audience feels safer next to them. Stereotypically there is also a male antagonist who can either be a psychopathic and terrifying lunatic or a mastermind which is a danger to society. The Joker from the Dark Knight is a good example of a crazy villain.

Themes: Common themes of a thriller are: death, crime, mystery, rape, action, kidnap, escape and revenge. These themes make the thriller genre exciting and interesting as many of these are serious and intense situations with heavy consequences.

The theme of death and kidnap is shown in the film Saw where the victims get chopped by a crazy psychopath.




Audience Response.
Audience responses will differ as different people are stimulated by different situations and actions. For example younger audience who watch a thriller might react less intensively as they are exposed to violence and bloodshed on daily basis from different sources such as internet or TV in general. They are more likely to be inert to the controversial situations whereas an adult could be more effected by the disturbing images and they will be heavily impacted by them. This is because an adult isn’t used to seeing much violence because in their teens the film industry wasn’t able to display the controversial images whether to censorship or lack of technology. Therefore adults tend to use their imagination to ‘fill in’ the gaps of the movie which therefore means they are affected by the psychological aspect more. However thrillers can still play on all of our minds and make our imagination drift by making us feel insecure and thrilled. All of the spectators can react both psychologically and physiologically which is usually involuntary.



Why a Thriller is a popular genre?
Thrillers have gained so much popularity due to the adrenaline they give off and the reactions that have a massive impact on an audience who like thrill. It has also gained a massive recognition because of the fact that the horror genre is dying away and thrillers has over won the target audience from it. Thrillers allows the best traits needed to make a successful movie including the tension and a good narrative which is not so usual. I think thrillers are so popular because there is a variety of sub-genres which allow diversity in the films so the story lines can differ from each other and all spectators have something that is suitable for their tastes. I personally enjoy thrillers because there is a perfect balance between violence and narrative. Thrillers tend to have no mindless violence and more psychological aspects which is what I enjoy. I also like the clever plotlines which tend to involve the audience and keep you guessing like you are part of the story. An example of this is the Shutter Island.



Conclusion:
The research into thrillers has helped me to realize why thriller is such a fascinating and diverse genre. It also helped me to find out about some codes and conventions which will be beneficial because I will be able to use this knowledge when I will create my own thriller opening. Moreover I have learned about different sub-genres which helped me in making decision about my thriller. I decided I want to make an action thriller as these films tend to have the right balance of action, psychology and crime which allows a wider audience. I also want my thriller to cause a psychological and physiological response because this way my opening will be most effective. I know my thriller will require an isolated location which has its ‘gloom’ as it will add the thrilling effect for the viewer. I also need to have a twist and a sense of unclearness which will allow excitement and tension for the audience. Furthermore I know I need to have a clear character representation to show diverse characters and capture their nature which will help the spectator decide who is who.