Genre Research

Thriller

Common elements:

• Suspense, Excitement, and anticipation
• Isolated locations
• high stakes
• fast paced

Common Narratives:

• Protagonist vs. Antagonist
• High Stakes
• Ticking Tock
• Suspense and dread

Common Techniques:

• Silent moments
• Eerie moments
• jump scares
• contrast between light and dark lighting

Films over time

•  "The Lodger: A Story of London Fog" - 1927

This was considered the first true thriller film to be released. It is about a mysterious man who rents a room in London. It is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Michael Balcon and C.M. Woolf. This set the start of the standards of elements for the genre. 

• "The 39 Steps" - 1935

This thriller movie is written about an "innocent man" on the run. It is directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Michael Balcon and Ivor Montagu. This film perfected the image of an ordinary, innocent person accused of a crime. 

• "Notorious" - 1946

This is a story about spies and marriage in order to infiltrate a ring of Nazis in Brazil. It is directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. It helped shape thriller and is famous for mastering suspense and its influential producer/director. 

• "Strangers On a Train" - 1951

This thriller movie is about two men swapping murders. Alfred Hitchcock directed the movie while Patricia Highsmith produced the film. This film popularized the "swap murder" idea in thriller movies.

• "Psycho" - 1960

This thriller movie is a seminal thriller about Marion Crane, a secretary who steals 

$\$40,000$

and hides at the remote Bates Motel. Alfred Hitchcock directed this film while Robert Bloch produced the film. This film helped the thriller genre by shifting the focus from monsters to the terrors of the human mind.

• "Taxi Driver" - 1976

This thriller movie is about a Vietnam war veteran who works as a taxi driver and becomes obsessed with societal decay and the "filth" of the city. This film was directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Julia and Michael Phillips. This film helped shape the thriller genre by shifting focus from external plots to internal psychological decay.

• "The Shining" - 1980

This thriller movie is about a recovery alcoholic getting a new job and reforming his life as well as having a psychic son. This film was directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. This film helped shape the thriller genre by prioritizing psychological tension over jump scares.

• "Se7en" - 1995

This film is a story about 2 detectives that are in search for a serial killer that seems to be exacting retribution for the deadly seven sins. It was directed by David Fincher and produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle. It has shaped the thriller genre by popularizing the "tortured detective" trope. 

• "Zodiac" - 2007

This thriller film is about a serial killer named zodiac and the investigators obsession over finding zodiacs identity to bring to justice. It was directed by David Fincher and produced by Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Bradley J. Fischer, James Vanderbilt, and Ceán Chaffin. Zodiac has helped shape the genre by shifting the focus from a fast-pace to a slow-burn.

• "Gone Girl" - 2014

This film is about the life of a happily married couple when one day on their 5th anniversary the wife disappears. It is directed by David Fincher and produced by Cean Chaffin, Arnon Milchan, Joshua Donen, and Reese Witherspoon. It has shaped thriller as it is today by popularizing "domestic noir," shifting focus from procedural crime to the dark, psychological dysfunction within marriage.

Sub-genres:

1. Phycological Thriller: Focuses on unstable minds, emotional manipulation, and paranoia (EX: "The Silence of the Lambs")
2. Crime Thriller: Centers on criminal activity, investigation, and moral ambiguity (EX: "Zodiac")
3. Action Thriller: Blends high-stakes suspense with fast-paced action, fight scenes, and chases (EX: "Gangs of London")
4. Political Thriller: Involves government secrets, power struggles, and widespread conspiracies (EX: "The Diplomat")
5. Sci-Fi Thriller: Uses futuristic technology, experiments, or scientific advancements to create danger (EX: "Inception")
6. Horror/Supernatural Thriller: Combines suspense with otherworldly elements or visceral horror (EX: "The Sixth Scent")
7. Legal/Medical Thriller: Focuses on courtroom tension, ethical dilemmas, or life-threatening medical situations (EX: "Dark Waters")
8. Romantic Thriller: A romantic relationship drives the plot, which is surrounded by suspense (EX: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith")