Well-known Thriller films
Vertigo (1958)
Romance/Mystery/Thriller Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho (1960)
Mystery/Thriller/Horror Alfred Hitchcock
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Sci-fi/Thriller/Adventure Stanley Kubrick
The Shining (1980)
Drama/Mystery/Horror Stanley Kubrick
Memento (2000)
Drama/Mystery/Thriller/Crime Christopher Nolan
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Drama/Mystery/Thriller David Lynch
Identity (2003)
Drama/Mystery/Thriller James Mangolo
The Prestige (2006)
Drama/Mystery/Thriller Christopher Nolan
Shutter Island (2010)
Drama/Mystery/Thriller Martin Scorsese
Inception (2010)
Drama/Sci-fi/Suspense/Adventure
Christopher Nolan
Well-known Thriller directors
Directors
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) Martin Scorsese (1942-)
Psycho The Shining Shutter Island
David Lynch (1946-) David Fincher (1962-) Christopher Nolan (1970-)
Mulholland Drive Fight Club Inception
Changes of Thriller genre over time
Thriller films originated in the 1920-30s, pioneered by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang. At the time, thrillers were already associated with crime, mystery and spy themes. From the 1940-60s, a large number of thriller films were created. Hitchcock continued his experimentation into suspense thrillers, adding the use of Technicolor in late 1940s. Action and horror thrillers became more popular in the 1970-80s. Sub-genres of thrillers incorporated conspiracy, legal political and techno-thrillers. Psychological thrillers and non-linear narratives were also introduced in the 1970s. In recent decades, sub-genres of thriller continues to expand, with an increase of plot-twists in narratives.
The introduction of Technicolor, non-linear narratives and plot-twists can all be categorised as subversion in Steve Neale’s theory. The thriller genre is constantly evolving to incorporate new techniques and retain audience interest.
The increase of sub-genres can be explained with hybridity: conventions of different genres are combined or juxtaposed against each other in order to appeal to a greater audience, enable quick plot-shifts and create individual distinctions from conventional genre-film productions.
Thriller sub-genres & hybrids
Action Thriller
Hybrid of action & thriller
Plot unfolds around physical conflict and violence
Protagonist has to fight his/her way out of a tight & difficult situation
Example: Tenet
Crime Thriller
Hybrid of crime & thriller
Incorporates action, drama & mystery
Plot centred around moral conflict between cop & criminal, often questioning the nature of justice, good & evil, order & chaos
Protagonist is a criminal who tries to pull off a crime & escape from the police
Often incorporates plot twists
Example: No Country for Old Men
Disaster/Eco Thriller
Protagonist confronted by natural disasters or forces of nature, and tries to survive or minimise damage
Example: Jaws
Horror Thriller
Hybrid of horror, mystery and thriller
Protagonist confronted and overpowered by a unknown/supernatural evil
Example: The Shining
Legal Thriller
Hybrid of law & thriller
Protagonist is a lawyer/judge who tries to make the correct choice in a complex & life-threatening legal case
Example: A Time to Kill
Mystery Thriller
Hybrid of mystery & thriller
Similar to crime thriller, but the story is centred around solving the crime/mystery, often questioning the nature of truths (criminal/crime is known in crime thrillers, whereas the criminal’s motives & modus operandi is unclear in mystery thrillers)
Protagonist is a detective/victim who tries to solve the crime within a short timeframe
Pace is significantly faster than conventional mystery films
Example: Silence of the Lambs
Psychological Thriller
Hybrid of drama, mystery & thriller
Main conflict is psychological/metaphysical rather than physical
Story revolves around mental condition/illness of main character, sometimes set within the mind of the character
Often employs non-linear narratives to create confusion & highlight complexity of human mind
Typically includes one or more plot twists, which may include revelation that the film is in fact a psychological thriller (e.g. Identity)
Example: Inception
Spy thriller
a hybrid of action, crime, conspiracy and political triller genres
Protagonist eludes villain & exposes conspiracy
Protagonist is typically male, collaborating with a femme fatale
Example: 007 Series
Techno-thriller
Hybrid of sci-fi and thriller genres
Often set in space/future
Protagonist confronts evils created by technological & scientific advancements
Protagonist uses advanced technology, or tries to obtain a piece of advanced technology
Often provides a moral/warning regarding technology
Example: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Thriller genre in other medias
The thriller genre exists in a variety of mediums. Many key conventions and elements of the modern thriller films can be found in literature. Narrative techniques used in modern thrillers can be found from 2100 BCE in the Epic of Gilgamesh and other epics poems including the Odyssey and Mahabharata, also in stories such as One Thousand and One Nights. The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) is regarded a classic revenge thriller, The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) could be categorised as a romance thriller, and The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) is an intriguing spy thriller novel. The Bourne Identity (1980) is considered one of the first modern thrillers in literature. The sub-genres of thriller novels also vary greatly, including crime, techno and other sub-genres just as in film, and many popular thriller films are in fact adaptations of successful novels, such as Murder on the Orient Express (1934).
I was personally quite surprised whilst browsing Wikipedia, finding that these well-known epics were linked with modern thrillers, and pleasantly surprised by the revelation that The Count of Monte Cristo, The Thirty-Nine Stepsand especially The Prisoner of Zenda, stories which entertained me as a child were in fact classic thrillers.
In addition, with the development of the game industry and massive technological improvements over the past decades, more and more video games, particularly action-adventure role-playing games (RPGs) have incorporated film narratives and elements of thriller into their storytelling. Alan Wake (2010) developed by Remedy Entertainment is a psychological thriller about a novelist trying to unveil the mysterious disappearance of his wife. Control (2019) by the same studio narrates a supernatural thriller about the female protagonist navigating inside a Federal Bureau full of supernatural occurrences and powers. Death Stranding (2019) by Kojima Productions is well-known for its use of movie-style storytelling and cutscenes. The opening scene in which monsters appear creates tension and employs camera techniques similar to that in thriller films.
A notable element in both Control and Death Stranding is the direct physical and verbal interactions between protagonist and player: the character breaks the fourth wall in communicating with the player who is controlling the character. Moreover, the wireless controller used to play the games incorporates an advanced motor, which provides detailed vibrations of different lengths and intensities to give the player tactile feedback during gameplay and cutscenes. In video games, the interactions between player and game are much more direct than in movies, which allows game writers and developers to create a highly immersive thriller storytelling experience for players.
Target audience for Thriller films
The audience of thriller films are often limited to 15+ or 18+, because the films may contain violence, nudity and strong language unsuitable for younger audiences, and may potentially cause disturbance in children. Moreover, children may not be mature enough to understand the plot. Action and horror thrillers are mostly aimed towards older teens & young adults from 15-25, as they are more attracted by violence, gore and intense excitement. Psychological thrillers are often designed for audiences between 25-35 years old, since the plots are more complex and requires more psychological endurance rather than audacity. Crime thrillers mostly target audiences 35 and onwards, because they tend to be more interested in socio-political conflicts.
Notably, senior audiences are often beyond the target audience for thrillers due to their proneness to their reduced capacity towards excitement and tension, as well as risks of cardio-arrest when presented with strong stimuli.
Thrillers appeal to audiences of both genders. Some thrillers may include certain elements to create more specific appeal to a certain gender. For example, an attractive female character could increase a thriller film’s appeal to men, whereas a handsome, masculine male character or emotional bonds between male characters could potentially make the film more attractive for women.
Importance of genre
For filmmakers, classifying their film into genres in early production stages would help them to decide on the overall direction of the film and narrow down options. Adhering to the genre and using genre conventions would make it easier to keep the audience interested, whereas subverting the genre allows filmmakers to surpass the audience expectations and make the film more uniquely appealing to the market.
For the audience, the genre of a film gives them a broad conception of what to expect from a movie, also allowing them to choose which movies to watch according to the genres they are most interested in.
For the industry, establishing the genre of a film allows them to anticipate the audience towards whom the film would appeal, and predict the box office performance of the film accordingly. The industry is thus capable of determining market demands and risks of a particular film, and provide budgets accordingly.