Thriller Movies
Thriller films are characterized by suspense, tension, and excitement. They keep audiences on the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards a climax. Thrillers often feature characters facing challenges that involve physical danger, deception, and high stakes. The protagonists in these films are frequently ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances, forcing them to overcome obstacles in order to survive or achieve their goals.
Se7en
(1995)
(1995)
Se7en
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Zodiac
(2007)
(2007)
Zodiac
In the late 1960s/early 1970s, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer.
Prisoners
(2013)
(2013)
Prisoners
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads.
Gone Girl
(2014)
(2014)
Gone Girl
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
Memento
(2000)
(2000)
Memento
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Black Swan
(2010)
(2010)
Black Swan
A committed dancer wins the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" only to find herself struggling to maintain her sanity.
Oldboy
(2003)
(2003)
Oldboy
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(2011)
(2011)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A journalist is aided by a young female computer hacker in his search for the killer of a woman who has been dead for forty years.
The Silence of the Lambs
(1991)
(1991)
The Silence of the Lambs
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer.
Nightcrawler
(2014)
(2014)
Nightcrawler
When Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
Key Attributes of Thriller Films
Suspense Types
- Psychological Suspense
- Action-Based Tension
- Mystery Elements
- Time Constraints
- Moral Dilemmas
Common Characters
- Flawed Protagonists
- Intelligent Antagonists
- Unreliable Allies
- Morally Ambiguous Figures
- Expert Professionals
Sub-Genres
- Crime Thriller
- Psychological Thriller
- Political Thriller
- Espionage
- Techno-Thriller
Plot Devices
- Red Herrings
- Plot Twists
- Dramatic Irony
- Ticking Clock
- Conspiracy
Visual Elements
- Moody Lighting
- Tight Framing
- Symbolic Colors
- Unsettling Angles
- Selective Focus