2. Introduction
The Thriller and Suspense Genre is one of the most popular film genres in cinematic history.
These films are commonly about providing suspense and thrills for the audience, and are about the main
character being placed in a menacing situation or situation, from which escape seems to be near on
impossible.
To this extent, it is clear to see that the common objective of a director when directing a thriller/suspense
film is to promote intense excitement, heightened anticipation and nerve-wracking tension.
The thriller/suspense genre is a genre which seems to be constantly evolving, and has picked up certain
conventions which have become a hallmark of their films, and indeed other films.
With examples of these films being: Psycho (1960), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1931), The Usual Suspects
(1995) and The Sixth Sense (1999).
In this presentation, I will have a look at the genre of focus, showing its early beginnings, conventions and
how the genre has evolved.
3. Early beginnings of the Genre and the
Influence of Alfred Hitchcock
The genre first came to prominence in the early 1920s with a film called Safety Last (1923) about an all-
American boy performing a daredevil stunt on a skyscraper.
The genre soon began to shift focus, becoming increasingly about serial killers and the murders which
they performed with films such as Murders in the Zoo (1933), M (1927).
Soon, though the genre began to establish itself as a hallmark part of cinematic history with the rise of
Alfred Hitchcock as he helped to shift the modern-day thriller genre and establish it as we know of it
today.
This started off with his early silent film The Lodger (1927), a suspenseful Jack-the-Ripper story which
began to change the face of the genre.
Hitchcock is credited as the auteur of the suspense/thriller genre, manipulating the audience’s fears and
associating themselves with the main character of the film facing reality.
But, while Hitchcock’s tactics are still used, the genre itself began to change…
4. What is the Genre like Today?
As we began to reach the 21st century, the genre itself began to evolve, while still maintaining certain
elements from its early beginnings.
These changes mostly dealt with films in modern times becoming more mystery-orientated, and delivering
surprise endings.
An example of this is The Sixth Sense (1999). While still maintaining key aspects of the genre, the film
also began to twist these conventions on the audience’s heads, with the sense of anticipation and tension
being used by the director – Shyamalan – to good effect, as the film reveals at the ending that the main
character was a ghost to the person he’d been talking to the whole time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0JDnQIZf0
This film became Shyamalan’s most signature film, with many directors now adding in the plot twist
element to their films as well.
Thanks to this film, Shyamalan became one of the most famous directors of the genre, but they were
other names as well, who changed the genre on its head.
5. The Directors who Shaped the Genre
There are a certain few directors who have managed to influence the thriller-suspense4 genre with their
names becoming iconic in terms of their impact.
One of these directors was Alfred Hitchcock who became known for his thriller-suspense films, with the
two almost becoming interlinked together, he would often pull off McGuffins on the audience, using a
McGuffin which apparently is of utmost importance, only to be rendered unimportant later on.
Examples of Hitchcock films are: Psycho (1960), Topaz (1969) and Strangers on a Train. (1951)
Another director who has influenced the genre is Brian De Palma. His earlier films are particularly
reminiscent to Hitchcock’s films, focusing on guilt, paranoia and obsession.
Examples of De Palma’s films include: Sisters (1973), Dressed to Kill (1980), Body Double (1984).
6. Key Features of the Genre
With any genre, there are always certain aspects which are a part of that particular genre, and the thriller-
suspense genre is no exception, so here are a few common features in thriller-suspense films:
Suspense, tension, rising stakes: The stakes have to get particularly high for the character, with his whole
world and ideology changing because of the events of the film, with the danger at a high point.
Character Growth: The character has to grow and evolve through the film, with this growth allowing the
character to make it through his darkest hour, and triumph at the end.
Inciting Incident/Turning Point: This is where something happens which changes the whole film on its head,
with a conflict, complication or a character entering his darkest hour, which sets up the film for a more
emotional act of the film.
Resolving Ending: The ending has to tie up all of the loose ends of the film, leaving nothing to answer or
hide, but there can be a twist which changes how you see the film, but which makes sense in the grand-
scheme of things.
7. And the Award Goes to:
The Thriller/Suspense genre has had a couple of awards since the genre came to be, forb example:
Rebecca (1940) won a best picture award in the Academy Awards, however Suspicion (1941), Gaslight
(1944) and the Sixth Sense (1999) have all been nominated for the best picture in the Academy Awards.
On the other hand, the mystery/thriller genre has had many nominations for best picture without winning
any awards:
Examples include: The Thin Man (1934), Citizen Kane (1944), JFK (1991) and The Fugitive (1993).
But, in general, the genre has proved to be relatively popular, with many films receiving critical acclaim
which has kept the genre going strong.
8. How does the genre shape up in the box-
office?
Through analysis of the box-office, it further shows the popularity of the genre.
This is because, in the box-office totals the genre is the 5th most popular film genre with the genre’s total box-
office coming at $16,841,433,216, showing the extent of its popularity as the genre earns 8.53% of the
market share, giving it a solid but not hefty control.
This is important for making a thriller/suspense genre as since it wasn’t the most popular genre, it means
there isn’t much expectation over the genre.
This is shown through the top 3 most popular films in the genre:
Titanic (1997) - $1,147,349,023
The Sixth Sense (1999) – $485,424,724
The Hunger Games (2012) - $432,101.770
Through the total box-offices, it shows that the films in the genre – Titanic excepted – don’t earn a huge
amount of money, meaning it could be difficult to earn a hefty amount of money through a thriller/suspense
film.
9. Famous Actors involved in the genre
There are a few actors who are generally famous through being involved in the Thriller/suspense genre.
Examples of these include:
Matt Damon – The Bourne Film Series and The Martian
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games Film Series
10. Other Famous Actors
Liam Neeson – The Taken Series
Leonardo DiCaprio – Titanic and Inception
As you can see through the famous actors involved in these films, it shows you the sort of actors and directors
you may be able to attract through the films you make.
11. In Conclusion
The Thriller/Suspense genre is one of the most popular film genres of all time, with the genre attracting
the 5th highest amount of people to the cinemas.
Not only that, the genre has also evolved from its humble beginnings, involving the audiences more,
whilst continuing to focus on its target audience’s inner fears.
This has attracted may famous actors over time to its films, in order to differentiate themselves from
common public perception, similar to how the film tackles public perception on fear.
Because of this, and the popularity the genre has received, the films in the genre have received many
nominations and awards for the films, allowing the genre to continue to grow.
And with the popularity of the film genre not yet diminishing, the genre will likely remain one of the most
famous genres for many years to come.
