"Thriller is a loose genre term referring to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major aspect of its narrative."
Theories about Thrillers
From Thrillers by Martin Rubin
GK Chesterton: The Transformed City
Chesterton was an early 20th century writer of thriller stories. He argued that thrillers took urban settings and transformed them into exciting locations for dramatic stories.
Eg. I am Legend, Day After Tomorrow, 28 Days Later, Batman
Northrop Frye: Heroic Romance
Frye argued that thrillers were stories that took ordinary people and threw them into extraordinary situations.
Eg. Seven Pounds, Saw, Envy Of The State, Phonebooth, Panic Room, Redeye
John Cawelti: The Exotic
Cawelti argued that thrillers took the elements of ordinary life and added an exotic element.
Eg. Saw, Phonebooth, Panic Room
W H Matthews: Mazes and Labyrinths
Matthews writes about how human beings have a fascination for physical puzzles which are often seen in mazes and labyrinths. He also says how thrillers often use the idea of a mysterious guest in a confined location that feels like a labyrinth.
Eg. Resident Evil, Saw, Tomb Raider, Jumanji
Pascal Bontizer: Partial Vision
Bontizer discusses how in thrillers the audience is given a partial view of things, with important details often being obscured.
Eg. Seven
Noell Carroll: Question and Answer
Carroll argues that thrillers are structured around a series of questions for which the audience is led to want answers.
Roland Barthes: Enigma Codes
Barthes analysed all narratives in terms of codes that operate moment by moment. Enigma codes are moments in a narrative where the audience are led to ask a question. In thrillers, enigma codes are very important for telling the story in a suspenseful way.
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