A sub-genre can be identified by the
repertoire of elements that it contains which are conventional or expected of
that sub-genre.
Psychological Thrillers
A
psychological thriller uses the power of the protagonist’s mind, not their
physical strength.
The suspense
from a psychological thriller comes from the internal battle between two
characters thought processes and what is happened in in their minds such as through
deception or manipulation.
Sometimes
the character will be struggling with their emotional and unstable state of
mind or their behaviour will appear obsessive or pathological.
Due to the
fact that this type of thriller is more intellectual in terms of its content,
it is usually aimed at an older audience.
A
Psychological Thriller often possesses elements of drama and mystery film as
well as the typical conventions seen in a thriller film.
In
psychological thriller the protagonists are bale to solve the problems that a
situation brings up through the use of the power of their mind.
Examples of
psychological thrillers are Se7en, The Machinist and the silence of the lambs.
Supernatural Thrillers
A
supernatural thriller usually involves the protagonist having psychic abilities
or non-humanistic or non-naturalistic qualities.
This often leads
the plot to have some kind of twist or unexpected change.
This type of
thriller is stereotypically watched more by a female audience than a male
audience.
Supernatural
thrillers aim to put the audience on the edge of their seat and make their
hearts pound and hands sweat due to the suspense and tension created.
Supernatural
thrillers usually involve a battle between the protagonist and a paranormal and
malevolent force.
Examples of
supernatural thriller include Poltergeist, The Cabin in the woods, Van Helsing.
Crime Thrillers
The
narrative of a crime thriller usually focus on an event that breaks the law or
taking part in a criminal activity.
The main
focus is often on the presence of the police or the FBI.
The
antagonist’s in crime thriller are usually criminals or have been involved in a
criminal activity.
Crime
thriller usually incorporate elements and aspects of suspense and tension and
sometimes some action/violence.
They do this
by creating a narrative or plot that is based upon a serial killer, murderer,
robbery, or manhunt.
The
narrative/plot usually puts its focus on both the protagonist and the crime
that they have committed.
Examples of
crime thrillers include Pulp fiction, Casino Royale and Leon: The Professional.
Conspiracy Thriller
Conspiracy
thriller's involve a confrontation between the main protagonist and a larger
and more influential and powerful organisation or group of people who have more
authority and higher status than the main protagonist.
However, the
interesting element to Conspiracy thrillers is that only the protagonist sees
the potential threat from the larger group.
Conventially
the protagonist has to deal with this threat and the consequences on their own.
The main
conflict seen in a conspiracy thriller is the conflict between the protagonist
and the proposed or suggested conspiracy.
Examples of
conspiracy thrillers include JFK, The conspiracy and RED.
Disaster Thriller
Disaster
thrillers usually involve the tragic consequences and the actual event of a
natural disaster.
The
antagonist is usually attempting to prevent the disaster from happening or trying to minimise the devastating effects
of the natural disaster.
The
antagonist's objective is usually to save as many of the other characters as
possible before the disaster occurs.
Disaster
thrillers usually involve a lot of visual image and action.
The primary
plot in a disaster thriller is the ongoing or impending natural disaster.
The
calamities seen in disaster films can be from floods and earthquakes to plane
crashes and shipwrecks.
Disaster
thriller examples include San Andreas, I am Legend and Poseidon.
Mystery Thriller
The
sub-genre of Mystery Thrillers often involve conventional elements of both the
genre of a mystery film and the genre of a thriller film.
Mystery
thrillers are usually quite fast paced and the action is quite intense along
with the narrative.
There is
often an element of the crime needing to be solved or the protagonist needing
to escape in a certain time frame which creates the fast-paced narrative.
Examples of
mystery thriller films include Shutter Island, Vertigo and Memento.
Romantic Thriller
Romantic
thrillers often contain conventional elements of both romance and thriller
films.
The
narrative focuses on the development of a relationship between two characters.
Although the
plot line also includes elements of excitement, suspense, anticipation and of
course, tension.
A common
convention of romantic thrillers are a sense of adventure or a quest to battle
a threatening being.
There is
often the use of the metaphorical image of a maze where the protagonists must
find a solution to the problem, however this is usually difficult to navigate.
Romantic
Thriller examples include Mr and Mrs Smith, The Tourist and The Loft.
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