Thriller is a genre that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as the main elements. The primary subgenre is psychological thrillers; however there are various other subgenres.
Many thrillers present some form of crime/drama theme within the story, or have psychological elements to show uncertainty which helps build suspense and tension. A good thriller will keep the audience on the edge of their seat; it should provide thrills as the plot builds up to climax. Tension can be built up in a variety of different ways, varying from characters being placed into a menacing situation from which escaping seems impossible to a mystery.
Many films play on the theme of a character (generally being the main protagonist) being placed into a life-threatening situation, from which they eventually escape, to symbolise the character being strong. This can be seen in films such as:
Kill Bill 2 - Where the main protagonist is buried underground in a coffin.
Phonebooth - Where the main protagonist is (unbeknownst to onlookers) held hostage inside a phone booth.
Panic Room - Where the main protagonist locks herself inside a panic room inside her own home due to burglars.
Thrillers can be set in a multitude of different locations; however the conventional location is some kind of big city. This is because cities are huge, they can seem daunting to the viewer as they probably won’t know the city very well. However thrillers can be set in abnormal places such as places of extremity (deserts, arctic, abandoned locations).
Non-diagetic sounds are also used to build up tension, such as in Jaws when the great white is approaching. The non-diagetic sounds usually break/end when the tension does too.
The main protagonists in thrillers are conventionally some kind of cop, almost always being “the good guy”. This can be seen in many big name thrillers such as Die Hard and Bad Boys.
Suspense is also built up through the use of quick cuts between camera shots, as well as the camera having an extreme close up on a character’s face, such as the eyes, to show fear or urgency.
Lighting in thrillers can vary from noir to chiaroscuro, such as when the main protagonist is searching through a dark building or room to find the antagonist.
Another key feature/element in the mise en scéne is the clothes/props the protagonist has. For example when people think of “Die Hard” they think of the white shirt the protagonist wears which becomes dirtier and more blood-ridden as the movie progresses, or the classic tank top that Laura Croft wears in that franchise.
Below is a quote from James Patterson, a writer of thriller novels.
"Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast. There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations constantly being invented. In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the genre's most enduring characteristics. But what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job."
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