In this blog post, we will look at the definition and characteristics of thriller movies and analyze how this genre stimulates the audience’s tension and fear.
Definition of thriller movies
Thriller refers to a narrative centered on suspense and a sense of urgency. It is mainly derived from classical detective stories, focusing on the story of the investigation process (present) while reducing the story of the crime (past). The main or sub-main character, the detective, is caught in the center of the case and faces imminent danger. The suspense of who the culprit is or what will happen next drives the story. Thrillers are also films or dramas designed to stimulate the audience’s sense of fear. Mystery films, crime films, and in some cases, spy or adventure films also fall under the category of thriller. The story unfolds in a way that delays the resolution of the problem and increases the sense of urgency while maintaining the audience’s interest. Thrillers originated in film and are used in various media such as theater, broadcasting, and novels. It is a type of suspense drama that broadly covers many genres, including horror, crime, and detective.
Difference between a mystery and a thriller
The difference between a mystery and a thriller is that the genre of the mystery is characterized by certainty and pleasure, while the thriller lacks these elements, and instead focuses on cruel violence, crime, and immorality. The detective is deeply involved in the case or situation he is facing, and the process of solving the mystery reflects his existential decisions or inner struggles. Thrillers are sometimes overlapped with mysteries, but while the protagonist of a mystery uncovers the hidden facts of a crime, the protagonist of a thriller must prevent the criminal’s criminal intent. Thrillers deal with large-scale events, and crimes are either serial or involve dramatic events such as massacres, terrorism, assassinations, and government overthrows. In this genre, the confrontation with danger and violence is a key element. While the resolution of a mystery leads to a climax, a thriller is only resolved when the protagonist punishes the villain and saves his life.
Trends in Thriller Movies
Thriller films influenced by pop culture horror or psychological horror often use sinister and eerie elements to maximize tension. Monsters can be anything from beings with high intelligence but limited physical abilities, characters with supernatural abilities, aliens, serial killers, and microorganisms. Thrillers are defined by their approach, not by their subject matter. Many thrillers deal with spies and intelligence agents, but not all spy novels are thrillers. For example, John le Carré’s spy novels break away from the thriller tradition. On the other hand, several thrillers are combining new genre elements and intersecting with various genres. Famous writers in this field include Alistair Maclean, Hammond Innes, and Brian Calley.
Characteristics of a Thriller Film
Thriller films are characterized by a fast-paced plot and a lot of violence and villains. Guns, explosives, and action are common elements, and a plausible setting is also essential. Mystery and crime films may also be elements, but they play a secondary role in thrillers. The James Bond series, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne series are representative examples. The events take place in foreign cities, deserts, the polar regions, or on the high seas, and the protagonists are people who are accustomed to danger. They often appear as police officers, investigators, spies, soldiers, sailors, and airplane pilots, but they also get caught up in incidents as ordinary citizens. In the past, there were many male protagonists, but recently, the number of female protagonists has been increasing.
The social significance of thriller movies
Thrillers embody the “otherness” that threatens the order of the community and serve to relieve anxiety and fear. When the case is solved, the audience feels relieved as they drive the fear inherent in reality into the screen. This genre contains a conservative ideology that conforms to the dominant order, and provides insight into individuals and society by clearly thematicizing violence, evil, desire, and justice.
Subgenres of the thriller film
Thriller is an action thriller, a conspiracy thriller, a crime thriller, a disaster thriller, a drama thriller, an environmental thriller, an erotic thriller, a horror thriller, a courtroom thriller, a medical thriller, a political thriller, a psychological thriller, a spy thriller, a supernatural thriller, There are various subgenres, including techno-thriller and science fiction thriller. These genres are often blended to create new ones.
Alfred Hitchcock, the master of thriller films
Alfred Hitchcock was born in London, England, and studied art at the University of London. He joined the film industry in 1920 and became a screenwriter and art director before becoming a director in 1925. He gained attention with the production of The Blackmail (1929) around the time of the introduction of sound films. He established an original directing style that induced psychological anxiety in The House of Assassins (1934) and 39 Steps (1935), creating the “Hitchcock Touch.” In 1939, Hitchcock moved to the United States and actively worked on Rebecca (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), and Shadow of a Doubt (1943), establishing the thriller genre and becoming a master of the genre.
The reason Hitchcock is called the representative writer of thriller films is that he effectively expressed the psychological fear hidden in ordinary and everyday situations. His films are shockers that give an external shock, but they shed light on the fear that is deeply rooted in the mind. Jean-Luc Godard said of him, “Like famous painters, one painting follows another, and each flower he paints becomes a story.” Hitchcock reached his prime in a highly organized studio, while rejecting interference from producers and creating freely. Strangers on a Train (1951), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963) all belong to this period.
The male protagonists in these works are misunderstood or mentally divided, and they exhibit obsession and madness for their neighbors or women, and most of them are men who have been oppressed by motherhood. Norman Bates from Psycho is a representative example. Marnie (1964), one of Hitchcock’s later works, has been re-examined by later critics. In his book Conversations with Hitchcock, director François Truffaut described him as an artist of anxiety, along with Kafka, Dostoevsky, and Proust.
Hitchcock was unable to attend the party hosted by the Lincoln Center Film Society in 1974 due to health issues and sent a video of his prepared remarks instead. This was his last public appearance.
“Hello. People say that when you fall into the water, your life flashes before your eyes. I’m glad I had a similar experience without getting my feet wet. The theme of my film was murder, but most of the murders took place in domestic spaces. I’m sure you will find murder fascinating and enjoyable, even for the victims.”
Hitchcock’s emphasis on the murder taking place in a “domestic atmosphere” is to express the horror of everyday spaces in his films. The characters in his films are tormented by people they are close to in a comfortable space. It is the tension of anxiety in this tranquil atmosphere that makes Hitchcock’s films modern masterpieces.
