Genre Research

GENRE RESEARCH: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER/HORROR

Our short film fits in to the 'Psychological Thriller/Horror' genre, as it explores the psychological effects of the characters rather than having a focus on gore -which is common for standard horror genre films.

• Psychological thrillers rely on the character's fears and emotional instability in order to develop tension. 
• Tension is built through atmosphere, eerie sounds and exploitation of the audience's fears.
• Creates discomfort for the audience by exposing common emotional vulnerabilities such as fears or threats from other human beings.
• Suspense, tension and raising of stakes for the protagonist. 
• The ending should resolve all loose ends, but provide a twist.
• Pace can be at breakneck speed, but is better with occasional lulls. For example, let the hero have a minor success. The lulls allow the overall tension to build slowly to the climax.
• Elements of drama, mystery and horror can often find themselves in the psychological thriller.
• Motives for the crime can be emphasized just as much as how any crime is committed.
• Violence is often heard but not seen in order to make the audience expect the worst.

Common Themes:

• Death
• Reality
• Perception
• Identity
• Existence/Purpose

Often feature:

• Flashbacks
• Unreliable narrative 
• Plot twists
• Emphasis on the psychology of the characters and unstable emotional states
• Mind games, tricks/deceit

Look Of A Psychological Thriller:

• Dark lighting, often dull tones HOWEVER can be very bright to contrast from the dark themes of the film in order to further mentally confuse the audience.
• Mix of fast paced and slow paced shots to add suspense and action when needed.
• Eerie music to add to the tension HOWEVER also utilises silence.
• Usually set in an urban location such as a town or large city, as highly secluded areas are more common in horror films.

Some examples of psychological thrillers/horrors I will look at in closer detail are: 

• Stephen King's 'Secret Window' 
• David Fincher's 'Se7en'
• Michael Hanaeke's 'Funny Games'