Thriller and Horror

Thrillers Designed to offer the audience pleasures built around

tensions.

Aimed to startle, not designed to disgust.

Typically including crime.

Sub- genre’sCrime thriller:

Focus on criminals to an act of crime. The villain is normally the one who drives the

narrative. It consists of fast pace, fiction, dramatic moments, over emphasis action.

Mystery thrillers:

Detective uncovering a crime that has taken place. Along the way, there are crimes

that must be prevented e.g. terrorism, mass murder, over throwing the government.

Psychological thrillers:

Over laps with horror. Playing games with a person on a mental level. Making them

believe one thing, but then discovering a different meaning.

Science thrillers:

Gadgets and robotic machines are included to create suspense. Manipulating how

humans live. Includes action as well as elements of sci-fi.

Supernatural thrillers:

Were un human things are involved, and trying to enter this world and cause

destruction or try and create peace. Protagonist or villain has the powers.

Examples of Thrillers Film title Sub-genre picture

The game Mystery

Inception Science

The others Supernatural

Usual suspects Crime

Silence of the lambs Mystery

Law abiding citizen Psychological

Main themes Protagonist faces death or someone else's death. (usually of

the mother or girlfriend/wife)

Antagonist has more power

Protagonist is in a hard decision

Antagonist + protagonist must fight.

Characters found in a thriller Protagonist mainly men

Antagonist mainly male

Alien, ghosts or zombies

Police, agents, detectives.

Innocent victims.

Codes and conventions Suspense

Red herring

Cliff hangers

Villain drives the plot

Twists

Scored soundtrack to distress and influence

Cast

Damsel in distress

Good vs. evil

Genuine thriller

Multi layered narrative.

Horror

Designed to create an intense feeling of fear and disgust.

They often are based around hidden fears, nightmares and terror.

Sub genre’sAction horror:

Combines the intrusion of evil, where the protagonist must go around killing the antagonists, that are

mainly supernatural such as zombies, demons, vampires.

Body horror:

Where horror is generated from the human body. Limbs used to create monsters.

Comedy horror:

The horror is almost crossed over my comedy.

Psychological horror:

Relies on the characters emotional instability and at times the tension is built to further the plot.

Horror comes from the reality.

Science fiction horror:

Deals with the paranormal but is not limited to mad scientists were experiments go wrong.

Slasher horror:

Deals with a lot of violence which usually revolves around a psychopathic killer. Contains a lot of

blood and gore.

Examples of horrorFilm title Sub-genre Picture

Resident Evil Action Horror

Taxidermia Body Horror

Scary movie Comedy horror

Frankenstein Gothic horror

The Omen Psychological horror

Prometheus Science fiction horror

The Texas chainsaw

massacre

Slasher horror

Main themes The documentary's- where the audience is made to believe the film is real footage and experienced.

The Mass Incarnate Infestation- where the protagonist is alone, facing all the antagonists.

The Unknown, Unfolding Terror- where the protagonist believes from the other persons opinion that there are ‘supernatural forces’, but the audience doesn't’t really see it.

Creatures from Beyond- super natural creatures involved to scare and drive the narrative.

The Overwhelming Gore Explosion- where an over use in blood is mainly used to scare the audience.

The Serial Killfest- one main antagonist searches for its victims and kills them violently.

Characters found in a horror

Female victim

Non believer

Protagonist

Antagonist

Hysterical character

Violent character

Loved up couple

Zombies

Vampires

Witches

Demons

Codes and conventions

Extensive use of Narrative enigmas

Slow pace of Editing, builds tension. Long takes

Predictable narrative content

Clear binary oppositions e.g. good v evil

Use of low key lighting

representation of gender: The Female Victim

Extensive use of close up

Young/teenage characters

Point of view shots

Low angle shots