Hollywood Thrillers, Overview
Characteristics and Themes of Mainstream Thriller Films
Who doesn’t love a good thriller? They’re fast-paced, have lots of action, and center around resourceful heroes who have to thwart the plans of even more resourceful villains.
‘Thriller’ is actually a loose term that refers to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major part of its narrative. It’s actually a very broad genre that branches off into several different sub-genres. There are certain characteristics however, that exist in all thrillers.
Characteristics of Hollywood Thrillers
Most stories employ suspense in order to maintain interest, but thrillers exploit that particular narrative quality as much as possible. Main characters in thrillers are placed in menacing situations from which escape seems impossible. Themes often include terrorism, political conspiracy, love triangles that lead to murder, etc. Often the heroes are ordinary folk who are drawn into danger unknowingly or unwillingly. More often than not, the heroes of these movies are men, but occasionally women take a lead roll (think Linda Hamilton in The Terminator).
In his book Thriller, James Patterson says “what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job.”
Plot Structure of Hollywood Thrillers
As opposed to stories where a crime has already been committed and needs to be dealt with, the plots of thrillers usually involve the hero having to thwart the plan of a villain. The villain presents obstacles throughout the narrative that the hero must overcome. Usually the identity of the villain is already known to the hero and the audience, as opposed to mysteries where his or her identity must be uncovered. The villain’s plan is usually grand in scale and will result in mass destruction and many deaths.
Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of the Thriller
No list of suspense or thriller films is complete without mention of Alfred Hitchcock, the English filmmaker who directed over 50 films. He helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre. Alfred Hitchcock is considered the auteur master of the thriller genre. His films include classics such as Rear Window, Vertigo, and The Birds. Hitchcock shocked audiences with what is arguably his most famous film, Psycho, when he killed off his main character halfway through the film. Audiences were quite taken aback, and the film remains one of the most popular thrillers of all time.
Reasons Audiences Love Thrillers
Many discussions have taken place as to why audiences are so fond of thrillers. Many can agree that they can act as a form of escapism. They provide us with a kind of excitement that we don’t find in our everyday lives. Some have even said that there is a certain sadomasochistic pleasure in the way that we identify with the heroes. There is also a certain amount of pleasure that exists in seeing the good guy hero defeat the evil villain.
Whatever the reasons, thrillers remain some of the most popular films coming out of Hollywood.
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