Thriller Movies: The 10 Most Important Elements
What do you enjoy about the best thriller movies?
As a literary, film, and TV genre, the thriller is popular because it’s exciting and brings out a complex array of emotions from within readers or viewers.
When you’re watching a thriller, you might feel anxiety and fear as tension builds onscreen. You might even feel terror and uncomfortable anticipation of what’s to come.
But as thrilling as these films are, they’re not always easy to identify. Let’s find out how to tell if your favorite film is a thriller or not.
Thriller vs Horror vs Suspense: What’s the Difference?
A thriller can be similar to a horror or suspense film. Many movies can actually be examples of two or more of these related genres. Throw mystery, crime, and action films into the fray and you’ve got a whole lot of genres to mix and match.
Horror’s main purpose is to induce terror and fear, but anxiety and even disgust are also common. Supernatural, psychological, or morality elements may inform these stories but they play second fiddle to scaring the audience.
Suspense, like horror, is closely related to the thriller and mystery genres. Alfred Hitchcock simplifies the definition of suspense this way: Mystery is when the audience knows less than the story characters, while suspense is when the audience knows more.
But the thriller, in particular, is about a protagonist coping with a sometimes incomprehensible antagonist that seems to be everywhere and nowhere. Events force the protagonist to push their limits and change themselves — physically and mentally — to deal with the threat of harm, death, or damnation.
Crime and action films typically have a justice element, while the thriller is often more concerned with life-or-death scenarios than their consequences.
What Makes a Movie a Thriller?
Like horror films, the best thriller movies are meant to induce the most extreme emotional responses from their viewers.
The genre allows people to experience feelings that they wouldn’t want to have to go through in real life because of the inherent danger it would come with — but as a work of fiction, the rollercoaster ride of emotions is an exhilarating form of escapism.
1) Most stories need a MacGuffin. This is a device, event, or object that’s unimportant by itself — but is necessary to move the plot along and motivate the characters. In thrillers, it’s usually what the antagonist wants.
2) The main villain should be introduced via their work. Sometimes called an inciting crime, this element or scene in a thriller should have a clear victim. Usually, this part holds the key to identifying the MacGuffin. The thriller may turn this into a mystery for the protagonist to solve.
3) A point of no return for the protagonist is crucial. There must be a moment when the audience realizes, along with the protagonist, that things can’t go back to the way they used to be in the story. Paying attention to the fine details of the environment and atmosphere will serve the audience well here. The protagonist’s world has changed and the thriller begins in earnest.
4) The protagonist will fail at first. Once they’re aware of the antagonist’s doings, they will seek to outmaneuver the latter. Maybe the conflict is legal, moral, or even supernatural and the protagonist needs to learn new ideas and skills to combat the antagonist. After all, thrillers very often portray unexpected conflict. Their protagonist’s initial attempt will likely not work due to a lack of experience or knowledge.
5) The MacGuffin presents itself to the protagonist. While the audience may already know what the MacGuffin is, the protagonist may spend the early part of the story unaware of it. Red herrings and exposition further the plot and set the stage for this discovery.
6) The protagonist becomes the antagonist’s victim. It could be that victimizing the protagonist is necessary for the antagonist to get their MacGuffin. Whatever the case may be, this is when it truly gets personal for both sides.
7) All is lost — at the moment. This scene is the core event of the best thriller movies. It’s when the hero is powerless and at the mercy of the story’s villain. The audience’s emotions at this point are going wild. The unbeatable antagonist may think they’ve won until the protagonist pulls through due to preparation or luck.
8) There may be a false ending. Many thrillers will seem to resolve the main plot points and show a happily-ever-after scene. However, the antagonist isn’t don’t yet — sometimes even from beyond the grave. There is a rebound, and the hero may be rechallenged or the element may leave room for a sequel or an after-credits scene.
9) The could be a beat-the-clock moment. Though very much more common in suspense, crime, and action movies, thrillers can use this device to increase tension and create limits for the story.
10) There’s always a resolution. All things end — even the best thriller movies.
Resources— Literary Terms, Story Grid
About The Author
