Thriller

THRILLERS

Gripping yarns of suspense, where the tension is created by placing one or more characters in a threatening situation from which they have to escape. The type of film can cross several genres to produce action, science fiction, and even Western thrillers. Alfred Hitchcock, ‘The Master of Suspense’, perfected one of the fundamental thriller types in North and Northwest (1959). The mystery usually involves spies or terrorists, in which the protagonist is the pursued or the pursuer, attempting to solve a crime or prevent a disaster. Another popular Hitchcockian theme is the ‘woman-in-peril’ psychological thriller as epitomised in (Psycho (1960). Other potent examples include Gaslight (1940/ 44), Wait Until Dark (1967), and Dead Calm (1989). The conspiracy thriller reappeared in the 90s with Patriot Games (1992), and continued with The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Constant Gardener (2005).

What to Watch: The Third Man (1949), The Silence of the Lambs (1991).