What are genres?
Genres are the term for any category of literature, or any
other form of entertainment.
Genre is important
because you will know what to expect from whatever the art form is.
The Thriller Genre
Thriller movies/books/etc. use suspense, tension, excitement,
anticipation, surprise, anxiety and terror. They also tend to be very
adrenaline rushing.
Sub-genres:
-Action Thriller
-Conspiracy Thriller
-Crime Thriller
-Disaster Thriller
-Eco Thriller
-Forensic Thriller
-Legal Thriller
-Medical Thriller
-Mystery Thriller
-Political Thriller
-Psychological Thriller
-Religious Thriller
-Romantic Thriller
-Spy Thriller
-Supernatural Thriller
-Techno Thriller
Examples:
The Phantom Of The Opera
Plot: A disfigured musical genius hidden away in the Paris
Opera House terrorises the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young
protégée whom he trains and loves.
Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street:
Plot: The re-told Victorian story of Benjamin Barker, aka
Sweeney Todd, an English barber and serial killer, who murders his customers
with a straight razor and with the help of his accomplice Mrs Lovett, process
their corpses into meat pies.
Pulp Fiction
Plot: The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s
wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Common Themes
-Captives
-Heists
-Revenge
-Terrorism
The general audience for thrillers is adrenaline seekers,
and people like a thrill.
An audience would respond to watching thrillers by feeling
scared for the protagonist or they ma be able to feel the adrenaline, as if
they are part of the narrative/storyline.
Conclusion
From researching thrillers, I have learned that they all
follow similar conventions and themes, such as gangsters, crime, revenge, or
kidnapping. This will help me throughout the course as they are easily identifiable,
and therefore I can expect that the AS course will be based around those.
