Popularity of Thriller Genre Analysis

 Popularity of Genre – Thriller 

Psychological Thriller 

This subgenre of thriller explores the events of unstable characters, and the investigation of psychology to explain their behaviour and reactions/responses to the disturbing situations they are put in. Instead of devising a supernatural plot about zombies, psychological thrillers focus on the more realistic reasons for trauma, using real-life situations, or even taking inspiration from real perturbing cases to make audiences ask questions, and raise tension in them. They characterise protagonists or antagonists with internal conflict or tensions, and ensure their motives are driven by obsession or violence; this makes it more frightening for the audience, as it is a concept not dissimilar from the possibilities of real-life crime. Their audience is usually targeted above 18+ due to distressing and possible sexual content shown, that is not appropriate for teenagers or children. This thriller often challenges its viewer’s brain to activate its fight or flight response after hearing a loud noise or interruption – they invest their audience to believe that they are real. The primary target audience for psychological thrillers is men aged 20-35. This is because there are often sexualised vulnerable women shown in these thrillers being manipulated by strong male characters, which would appeal to a male audience according to the female gaze and gender theories. Men are also stereotypically advertised to be tough and emotionally stable, meaning they will not get overly sensitive over the disturbing content shown in these thrillers. The secondary target audience would be women, who are perhaps younger (18-30) who enjoy the mystery and crime aspect of psychological thrillers and are eager to solve the case within them. Popular psychological thrillers include: ‘The Prestige’, ‘Black Swan’, ‘Severance’, and ‘The Girl on the Train’.  This review for ‘Severance’ highlights that audiences love psychological thrillers for their mystery and building of suspense, as well as the psychological and philosophical investigation they carry out; this implies that psychological thrillers target people of an upper-class who have maybe had better education to fully understand the deeper meanings they attempt to promote. This suggests that this genre might not be the best genre for my set target audience of 16–25-year-olds. Key tropes of a psychological thriller include; plot twists, obsession, fringe theories, and paranoia.  

Thriller Drama 

This subgenre is characterised around the emotional aspect of characters and their relationships, as well as the high-risk stakes that are present in a conflict. The interest of the audience is maintained through a large degree of adventure, suspense, intrigue and mystery. When suspense is built, the story maintains its pace, yet ensures viewers are desperate for the climax, maintaining their focus and attention on the film on the edge of their seats. Thriller dramas in particular portray heightened real-life scenarios, where characters are driven by their emotions, rather than violence/obsession. There is copious amounts of symbolism in a drama which communicate deeper meanings to the audience, causing them to establish a pathos which makes them think and evaluate their own life, gripping onto the emotions of the characters to find their own. This subgenre therefore appeals more to women than men, as strong, developing relationships are usually established that emotionally involve the audience, and females are statistically more vulnerable and in touch with their emotions in comparison to men, so would therefore enjoy this dramatic genre more. Thriller Dramas are also typically less ‘scary’ than other subgenres, which once again stereotypically targets women better than men. The primary target age ranges from 15–50-year-olds, as teenage girls who are exploring the thriller genre may choose the familiarity of a drama to get started, and middle-aged women may not want to be exceptionally frightened by a thriller, so play it safe with a drama. The secondary target audience would be male young adults (18-30) who are pre-sold fans of the thriller genre, so are eager to explore the more dramatic, emotional ones. Popular thriller dramas include: ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Yellowjackets’, ‘The Weekend Away’, and ‘The Guilty’. This review for ‘Yellowjackets’ suggests that the viewer enjoys the expressive portrayal of the characters, surrounding their flaws and development, highlighting the drama’s success of emotionally engaging their audience amongst the horror/thriller aspects. This further suggests that thriller dramas focus on vulnerability and character progression to stimulate emotions, engagement and investment of their primarily female audience. Key tropes in a thriller drama include; political conspiracy, pursuit, romantic triangles, murder, and terrorism.  

Sci-Fi Thriller 

This subgenre directly juxtaposes the previous two, as it focuses on unrealistic situations and taking fantasy into a frightening direction to promote fear of the unknown and hypotheticals within their audience. The interest of their audience is maintained through tense situations characterised by an atrocious supernatural villain full of gore and impressive protagonists with paranormal abilities. The thrill of this subgenre is built up with alternate universes, corrupt governments, and depressing dystopia, engaging audiences to unravel mysteries with the characters, and wait for sudden plot twists in suspenseful anticipation. Characters are often portrayed as young teens/adults to appeal to the younger target audience for this subgenre, imploring a sense of relatability and the development of flaws to create a sense of reality amongst the fantasy, allowing audiences to use the thriller as an escapade to a more frightening yet fantastical lifestyle. Motives are often driven by saving the world, or an aspect of revenge, based on strong relationships between characters. In most sci-fi thrillers, the protagonist is a strong male with a strong female love interest, who becomes a damsel in distress despite her independence, implying that this subgenre primarily targets men, who would like to feel represented as powerful and a saviour to women. Popular sci-fi thrillers include: ‘Inception’, ‘Blade Runner’, ‘12 Monkeys’, and ‘The Rig’. This review of ‘12 Monkeys’ highlights the importance of atmosphere in a sci-fi thriller, with effects and music creating an eeriness that leaves the audience feeling ‘on edge’. This demonstrates that when done correctly, the combination of a sci-fi and a thriller can have successful effects of feeling simultaneously tense and amazed. Key tropes in a sci-fi thriller include; time travel, evil robots, oxygen leaks, and Armageddon implications.