Genre Analysis

Romantic Thriller

What is a Romantic Thriller?• Romantic thriller in terms of genres, is a hybrid genre (a genre in

fiction that blends themes and elements from two or more different genres).

• The genre works on two levels. First a specific theme exists. Then general relationships, patterns and structural elements are merged with the specific theme. This means that there can be a large variety of visual styles and story structures in romantic thriller.

• This allows for a wide range of production techniques to be used to create a desired effect as well as it being able to appeal to a larger and more varied target audience than a simple Thriller or Romance film would.

• A Romantic Thriller is a good film to contrast because the genres are so different and varied from each other, allowing for an interesting and somewhat unique production.

Stereotypical Characters you see in a Romantic Thriller

• Males tend to be possessive and overpowering, the male figure in the ‘love’ story tends to be obsessed with the female characters, for example something similar to the narrative in the film ‘Prom Night’.

• Female characters tend to depend on the male characters for protection. Females tend to be portrayed as feeble and unable to fend for themselves in when it comes to dangerous situations with the villain of the story.

• However when the romance aspects of the genre come into play the female roles sort of take the lead as, stereotypically, women invest more time in romance than men tend to.

Target Audience

• Romantic Thrillers attract a wide audience due to the vast contrast between the two genres.

• For example, the typical audience attracted to a romance film are generally females, tending to age from 16+.

• • Thrillers are mainly appealing to males, due to

the somewhat violent nature and slight action aspects of the genre.