ThrillersBy Adam Picton and CJ Lewis

DefinitionA thriller film, by definition, is a plot where extraordinary things happen to ordinary people. Unlike action films, which can share many of the same conventions, thrillers feature characters who are often as ordinary as you or I.Extraordinary things are different to supernatural/paranormal things, so although the genres of horror and thriller often overlap they are separate in their own right.

ThemesThriller is a broad genre of film that has many subgenres categorized by what emotions they provoke. E.G fear would be categorized as horror.Thrillers can instill suspense, fear, anxiety, anticipation, excitement and surprise.Thrillers usually build throughout most of the plot to one big climax.Thrillers also often have enigma plot points, like mystery’s “whodunit”.

CharactersThrillers usually include a villain/antagonist. This can range from criminals, to psychopaths to terrorists.It is often unclear who the antagonist is during the beginning of a thriller film, as the element of mystery often leaves viewers in the dark.Characters are often thrown straight into the action and we learn more about them as the story progresses, rather than films which focus on character development at the start of the film.

PlotThrillers often follow a non-chronological structure, using flashbacks or a switch of narrative to add to the mystery of the plot.

SettingThere are two common settings for thriller films:

Ordinary suburbs and cities, a la Gone Girl or Welcome To The PunchExotic locations such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or the high seas.