1. What is a Thriller?
By Tyra Chuck

2. What is a thriller?
ANTICIPATION
• A thriller is a movie that revolves around anticipation or suspense to ‘what is going
to happen next?’.
• This leaves the audience intrigued to what is going to happen next and keeps them
interested in the plot of the movie and where about of characters and events.
• Anticipation and suspense is carried out from the start to the end of the movie. It is
on-going in order to keep the audience interested, on the edge of their seat and
allows them to follow the plot of the film and/or the characters and events.
CHARACTERS
• Characters (main) are often faced with a series of challenges or task in order to
complete in order to solve the mystery in the movie.
• Female characters are often show as being a venerable damsel in distress or as
opposite, to which they are shown as to having masculine behaviour such as being
violent.

3. Examples of a thrillers
• Crime Thriller
• Action Thriller
• Film Noir
• Psychological
Thriller
• Science
Fiction
Thriller
• Religious
Thriller

4. Action Thriller
• An action work will generally have a fast-paced, centred, and definite plot.
• It generally follows to the hero cycle faithfully, and its plot revolves around
character development.
• Packed movies that keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
• The plots of most action thriller films are the same which contain (typical code
and convention); exploration, crime fighting , explosions, psychopaths ect.

5. Crime Thrillers
• Thriller and crime combined.
• Features mainly a robbery, serial killer or a
murderer.
• Associated with high levels of psychological
and action of which combined creates
tension and suspense for the audience.

6. Film Noir
• Distinct type of drama thriller.
• Was popular during the 1940s &50s.
• The main theme is black and white but has
effective lighting.
• The main character is typically the hero.
• Has a complex plot but is normally explained
through flashbacks and over voice of character.

7. Psychological Thriller
• Drama and Mystery film
• The main character relies on
knowledge to solve a situation or
mission.
• Often has a crossover with horror
films due to the above.

8. Science Fiction Thriller
• Has science based themes.
Theme
Typical codes
and
conventions:
• Mainly revolves around alien
invasions
• Suspense is created through the use
of unexplored locations.

9. Religious Thriller
• Has elements of religious themes,
that normally reflect on questions,
ceremonies and conspiracies.
• Includes supernatural events,
demon possession and church
secrets/ cover ups.

10. Main Themes
Narrative
Themes
• Complex theme that questions the
audience into what is happening or
going to happen next.
• Often add false clues to deceive the
audience show how something may be
finished/gone away but its not.

11. Key Characters
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Psychopaths
Killers
Innocent victims (e.g. females)
Convicts
Escaped convicts
Criminals
Stalkers
People involved in a twisted relationship
Police
Terrorists

12. Codes and Conventions
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•
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Low key lighting
Shadows
Quick cuts
Tension music to add suspense

13. Alfred Hitchcock
• English film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the
suspense and psychological thriller genres.
• Examples of his movies directed are: Psyco, The birds, rear window and
notorious.