Setting and Story in thriller films

The protagonist in these films is set against a problem an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a thriller film falls into, it will emphasise the danger that the protagonist faces. The cover-up of important information from the viewer, and fight and chase scenes, are common methods in all of the thriller subgenres, although each subgenre has its own unique characteristics and methods. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces the threat is sometimes abstract or unseen. An atmosphere of creepy menace and sudden violence, such as crime and murder, characterise thrillers. Thrillers often present the world and society as dark, corrupt and dangerous, but they usually feature upbeat endings in which evil is overcome. The tension usually arises when the character is placed in a menacing situation, a mystery, or a trap from which escaping seems impossible. Life is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspectingly or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Thrillers emphasise the puzzle aspect of the plot. There are clues, and the viewer/reader should be able to determine the solution at about the same times as the main character. In thrillers the compelling questions isnt necessarily who did it but whether the villain will be caught before committing another crime. Thriller films often place an innocent victim (an average, responsible person) into a strange, life-threatening or terrorising situation, in a case of mistaken identity, misidentification or wrongful accusation. Thrillers take place mostly in ordinary suburbs and cities, although sometimes they may take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, Polar Regions, or the high seas. Usually, tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world. Often in a thriller the protagonist is faced with what seem to be insurmountable problems in his mission, carried out against a ticking clock, the stakes are high and although resourceful they face personal dilemmas along the way forcing them to make sacrifices for others.

Overlaps
Thriller often overlaps with mystery and crime genres. Mystery Thrillers often overlap with mystery stories but are distinguished by the structure of their plots. In a thriller, the hero must stop the plans of an enemy rather than uncover a crime that has already happened. Mystery thrillers also occur on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements in the mystery-thriller genre, unlike in the mystery genre where the story is more downbeat and dramatic. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a mystery thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain (after reveal), saves his own life and often the lives of others. There is very

little violence, menace and threat in mystery/detective films (especially between the villain and other innocent people), whilst the violence is quite intense in thrillers and the villain is more ruthless. In thrillers influenced by film noir and tragedy, the compromised hero is often killed in the process. While most will associate death with the genre and as being part of the story, a thriller isn't just about someone being murdered. There is always something bigger and more important at stake behind the murder that may endanger more lives. Where in a mystery the motive for a crime such as insurance fraud can be greed, in a thriller mere money doesn't come across as believable for all the terrible things the antagonist will do. Crime Often the two overlap. However, pure crime films/novels focus on a specific crime or set of crimes, and solving the mystery or tracking down the criminal(s), with no or little violence but more drama throughout. Thrillers are usually fiction-based and fast in pace, while crime fiction tends to be more leisurely paced, dramatic and realistic. Generally, violence is also lacking in crime fiction, but this depends on whether the work is based on the mafia, where violence is intense. Some crime films showcase more on the gangster life, personal drama of the criminals and even their biographical film. Crime-thrillers, on the other hand, have more threat and suspense in them and may involve espionage (spying), frequent killings and other non-criminal conflicts. Unlike crime thrillers, crime films usually offer a more serious, grim and realistic portrayal of the criminal environment, emphasising character development and complex narratives over suspense sequences, chase-scenes and violence. In crime fiction, the hero might be a police officer, or a private eye, usually tough and resourceful. He is pitted against villains determined to destroy him, although, unlike in thrillers, not necessarily other people, the country or the stability of the free world. Unlike in crime fiction, thrillers keep the emphasis away from the gangster, melodrama or the detective in the crime-related plot, and rather focus more on the suspense and danger that is generated.