Characters in ‘Thriller’ Genre

Charlotte Thistle

Vicki Cole

Emma Young

There are different sub-sections to the thriller genre.

Examples of these are:• Psychological thriller• Conspiracy thriller• Crime thrillerIn our coursework we shall be creating a

psychological thriller and incorporating the associated codes and conventions concerning various aspects of this genre, including the typical character types.

Examples of films in the separate sub-genre thrillers are:Psychological Thriller: - Memento directed by Christopher

Nolan- The sixth sense directed by M. Night Shyamalan- Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock Conspiracy Thriller: - JFK directed by Oliver Stone - The constant gardener directed by Fernando Meirelles - The Bourne Identity directed by Doug Liman, based on

the book of the same nameCrime Thriller: - Entrapment directed by Jon Amiel - Fast and Furious directed by Justin Lin - Acused of Murder directed and produced by Joseph Kane

Psychological thriller

• Is defined as “a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. However, this genre often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre. Also, occasionally this genre will border into the, also wide-ranging, Horror genre.

Psychology involves the mental and internal processes of the body and mind. In a psychological thriller the behaviours of characters reflect this.

Typical characters of a psychological thriller film include:• Convicts eg • Criminals • Stalkers eg. ‘One hour photo’ directed by Mark Romanek • Assassins eg. ‘JFK’ directed by Oliver Stone • Down-on-their-luck losers • Innocent victims (often on the run) eg. ‘Hear no evil, see no evil’ directed by

Arthur Hiller • Prison inmates eg. ‘The Green Mile’ directed by Frank Darabont • Menaced women eg. ‘Sleeping with the enemy’ directed by Joseph Ruben • Characters with dark pasts eg. ‘Silence of the Lambs’ directed by Jonathan

Demme • Psychotic individuals eg. ‘The Shining’ directed by Stanley Kubrick • Terrorists • Cops or Police • Escaped convicts eg. ‘Curse of Alcatraz’ Daniel Zirilli • Fugatives eg. ‘The Fugative’ directed by Andrew Davis• Private eyes• Drifters• People involved in twisted relationships eg. ‘Fear’ directed by James Foley