Different Elements of a Thriller

There are many different genres and elements of a thriller that a director may use in order to make a thriller film. Some of these elements that are used in thriller films are;

Action thriller - often features a race against the clock, it contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. An example of this will be films like James Bond films, The Transporter.

Conspiracy thriller – is when the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes.

Crime thriller - This is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Examples of these are; The Killing, Seven, The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, and Inside Man.

Disaster thriller – this is when the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen, Tremor by Winston Graham, and the 1974 film Earthquake.

Drama thriller - when the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.

Eco-thriller - are of the Science Fiction genre that proposes ideas that will or may occur and include such works as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rights Trilogy and Dasavathaaram.

Erotic thriller - In which it consists of erotica (desire) and thriller. Which became popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Good bar, and In the Cut.

Horror thriller - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two examples of this include the Saw series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main characters are not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.

Some of these elements that I have mentioned (above) can be used and placed into I and my groups’ thriller video when we come to making ours. I think that these elements are really good and useful as we can add some of these elements in our video. I think that it also clearly states and shows what some of the features that they put in a thriller film in order to create the type of audience that they will like to attract.