What Makes A Good Thriller?

Chapter Ten:

"She knew with chilling and absolute certainty she was next."

Making A Good Thriller

'People often confuse the mystery and thriller genres. While it’s true that they often overlap, there’s a distinct difference: A mystery follows an intellectual protagonist who puts together clues to solve a crime after it’s been committed, and a thriller details the prevention of a crime before it has been committed.' -Writers Digest.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Inception (2010)

Shutter Island (2010)

Tips

• It must have a good storyline. The audience must feel a sense of danger for the characters in the movie. 
• Have strong characters and justify how they will react to the ongoing conflicts around them. 
• Allow the camera to adapt and take on human qualities- use a series of shots. Thrillers often use P.O.V shots to allow the audience to share the experience.
• Really emphasize the pace of the movie in editing and post production. Simple cuts can create a feeling of suspicion while other visual effects will establish a physical and an emotional predicament.
• Use diegetic and non diegetic sound such as music and silence to evoke the needed emotions from the viewers. Include parallel, synchronous and asynchronous to create further tension.