Conventions of a Thriller


The thriller genre is defined as :

'being characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety.' Successful examples of thriller films are those directed by Alfred Hitchcock, such as Rear Window and The Birds.


The plots of thrillers usually slowly build to a dramatic climax.
Suspense is key in thrillers and is very successful at keeping the viewer hooked through the whole film. Alfred Hitchcock, the 'master of suspense', explained that suspense was the difference between giving the audience 15 seconds of surprise - for example the actual explosion of a bomb - or giving them 15 minutes of constant suspense and tension - eg the bomb has been underneath the table for 10 minutes and the viewer is aware of this, thus continually on the edge of their seat waiting for the bomb to go off, urging the characters to get out of the room, etc.


Common sub-genres include action thrillers - for example Dirty Harry - comedy thrillers such as Charade, conspiracy thrillers like The Da Vinci Code, and political thrillers- for example Seven days in May. My favourite sub genre is psychological thriller, an early example being Strangers on a Train.


Whilst horror films aim only to terrify the viewer, thrillers are more complex and intend to evoke varied emotions in the viewer, such as anticipation, shock and anxiety.



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