History of the Thriller Genre

- Genre characterised by heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and/or anxiety – primarily focused for film and television 

  • - Several sub-genres included: psychological, action, crime, political, mystery, spy, legal, science fiction – has created a wide appeal to audiences due to its broad range of content 

  • - Typically has a target audience of 15-24-35-year-olds (varies) – violence, psychological issues, etc. - unsuitable for younger audiences – typically 15-24 based on statistics 

 

  • - Aims to keep the audience ‘on the edge of their seats’ - the plot will build towards a climax 

  • - Cover-ups of important information is a common part of thrillers – extensive use of red herrings, plot twists, unreliable narrators and cliffhangers 

  • - Typically villain driven plots 

  • - The distinct style of thrillers started to develop in the 1800s and early 1900s (The Count of Monte Cristo (1948 – Novel) (The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915 – Novel) + the films of Alfred Hitchcock (mid-20th century) 

  • - Popular 21st century thrillers – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window, Utopia 

 

  • - Suspense is crucial in thrillers – fascination, excitement, apprehension, anticipation, tension 

  • - Unpredictable, mysterious events aim to keep the viewer engaged until the climax – expecting something bad to happen 

  • - Intertwinement of hope and anxiety 

  • - Ominous music – uncertainty, distrust 

 

  • Some thrillers are better at manipulating the conventions of genres compared to others, while using unconventional techniques and unique plots which attract viewers – people will want something new – thrillers that are considered have been the ‘first’ use of a particular method are likely to be more popular 

 

Famous Individuals in the Thriller Genre 

  • Morgan Freeman (actor) 

  • Alfred Hitchcock (director) - “Master of Suspense” - one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema  

  • Brad Pitt (actor) 

  • Leonardo DiCaprio (actor) 

  • Christopher Nolan (director) 

  • Brian De Palma (director) 

  • David Fincher (director) 

  • Jack Nicholson (actor) 

 

Iconic Thrillers (IMDb) 

  • Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock 

  • Mulholland Drive (2001) - David Lynch 

  • Memento (2000) - Christopher Nolan 

  • Memories of Murder (2003) - Bong Joon Ho 

  • The Shining (1980) - Stanley Kubrick 

  • High and Low (1963) - Akira Kurosawa 

  • Rear Window (1954) - Alfred Hitchcock 

  • Se7en (1995) - David Fincher 

  • Gone Girl (2014) - David Fincher 

  • Chinatown (1974) - Roman Polanski 

 

  • The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938) - Alfred Hitchcock – ranked as part of the greatest British films of the 20th century 

 

  • Psycho (1960) - dramatic shift in the ‘horror’ on the big screen – large cultural change – use of new techniques, breaking of conventions – used to scare people without copious levels of blood 

  • The Shining (1980) - the great use of mystery – lingering unnerving tone due to chaos and unexpected moments – based on a classic book – already had a pre-existing target audience 

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