![]() In short, there should always be the possibility of failure.Īs with any other genre, world building is essential to developing a great thriller. The mortality of the protagonist is key in thrillers, “…the hero must be vulnerable and capable of defeat, or the film will change into an action film like those of Indiana Jones or James Bond.” (Poger, 2001). Then it’s a case of surprising them with the least expected outcome, planting misdirection in as many places as possible. ![]() As writers, our biggest challenge when writing a thriller is to ensure that we can put the audience into a false sense of security, or of knowledge. Thrillers should always leave an audience guessing, with plot twists, cliffhangers, and red herrings strategically placed throughout. A protagonist could be battling with their fear of height or dealing with claustrophobia, for example. Indeed, this style of writing combines with a writer using rational fear as the plot’s centerpiece. Harris continues to describe the writing style that would identify the thriller genre “…clipped and short, to add to the feeling of pace…” (pg. ![]() He goes on to say that they “…will generally be realistic, often city-based and modern.” (pg. ![]() This of course can be in a positive or negative way: to excite or to cause anxiety and fear.Ĭharles Harris defines the thriller as more of a style, adding high tension to a story. “Typically a thriller is connected with a visceral response and frisson.” (pg. Kate Watson perfectly defines what it is to ‘thrill’. So, if the intention of a horror film is to scare you, a thriller is there to do what it says on the tin: to thrill you: to get your heart pumping. Learn more about the elements of horror with our article, How to Scare People: The Elements of Horror Movies! Creators of horror content want you to be cowering in your seat, ideally hiding behind it. A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Get Out (2017) fit into this bracket nicely.ĭespite their differences, all three sub-genres of horror work to intentionally scare an audience, a constant feeling of impending doom for the characters they’re following. Films like The Exorcist (1973) and the Paranormal Activity franchise (2007-Present) are all great examples.įinally, the super-uncanny “…in which the audience is kept guessing between the other two possibilities…” (pg. Second is the supernatural, “…in which the source of horror is an ‘irrational’ phenomenon from the spirit realm…”. Think Alien (1979) or the Halloween franchise (1978-2022) McKee divides horror into three sub-genres, a useful insight into how horror works and the different angles from which the genre can be considered.įirst is the uncanny, “…in which the source of horror is astounding, but subject to ‘rational’ explanation, such as beings from outer space, science-made monsters, or a maniac…”. There is always a psychological undertone, a character seemingly struggling with their sanity in one way or another. However, horror goes much deeper than the visible nightmares we see on screen at the movies. How much overlap is there? Let’s find out! So how do we define the traits found in the single genres of horror and thriller? Just how flexible are they, and how can we differentiate? dramatic comedy, action thrillers, black comedy, we could go on! A clear example of this is mixing genres, taking traits from each and combining them. The ‘pliability’ of genre traits can make things tricky for consumers of media, no less for writers and other such creatives. As Robert McKee points out in Story, “…each genre has its unique conventions, but in some these are relatively uncomplicated and pliable.” (pg. You are bound to come across a thriller or horror one way or another.Īs with all genres, like drama and comedy, thrillers and horrors have their own traits, although these are to varying degrees. Novels, comics, stage plays, screenplays, video games, you name it. The thriller and horror genres, like every other genre, span all forms of media. Exploring the Unique Traits of Horror and Thriller Genres
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