What makes a good thriller.

Top 5 thrillers
1) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Like so many other films on this list, The Silence of the Lambs can undoubtedly be declared as one of the greatest thrillers ever made because of what it doesn t do and what it doesn t show you. There is no need for great amounts of gore and hysteria, because the power is in the story, the direction, the music and lighting; and of course, most importantly, the performances. Anthony Hopkins performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter is my favorite of any other character on this list. He is the personification of brilliant, hypnotic evil (Variety.) A great deal of this is also down to his movements and voice. Think back to your childhood, when you did something reaaaaaally bad. You knew you were going to get yelled at by your parent, but then they didn t yell at you. They lowered their voice and almost spoke in a whisper. Hopkins performs as Lecter in a familiar way. You wait for him to lash out, just as you wait your telling off, because at least then you won t have to suffer the suspense. It comes as no surprise that The Silence of the Lambs became the 3rdfilm ever to win Oscars in all Top 5 categories and still tops many Top Thriller lists.

 2)

Rear Window (1954) It was a tough call to make between Rear Window and Psycho, but I would say that Rear Window is Hitchcock s all-round best thriller. It goes just that little bit further, containing all of the suspense and thrills of Psycho but with more humor, wit, and artistic and technical skill. Although I enjoyed Psycho more for the intensity of the thrills, it is in Rear Window that we see Hitchcock exerting the full potential of suspense (Rotten Tomatoes). The tension builds throughout the entire film, rather than coming in waves. What also makes this film so effective is how we connect with our hero, L. B. Jeffries (James Stewart.) We are accomplices in his act of voyeurism, and so we share his morbid curiosity, fear, and guilt as the murder mystery develops (Ebert). We also share Jeffries frustrating physical restrictions, as the camera never leaves his apartment. We are thrust into this confined space and made to watch, powerless. For a thriller that really makes you identify with the protagonist and feel what he feels, Rear Window is The One.

 3. Old Boy (2003) Old Boy has to be one of my favorite foreign films of all-time, as well as one of the best thrillers out there! Directed by Park ChanWook, it s the story of a man who is kidnapped and held captive for 15 years. Suddenly released, he sets out to find his captors and take his revenge. The plot is incredibly well developed and all is slowly revealed to us like solving a puzzle. Similar to Memento, we learn as our hero learns. It reminds us of the power that a film can have by just having great storytelling. Old Boy is a breath of fresh air to anyone gasping on the fumes of too many traditional Hollywood thrillers (James Berardinelli.) Adapted from manga of the same name, its background brings a unique aesthetic to the film that appeals to 21stCentury audiences, whilst still reminding us of classic thrillers and revenge movies. Winner of the Grand Prix and Nominee for the Palme d Or at Cannes in 2004, this film is an incredible eye-opener for those looking to broaden their horizons. Spike Lee is set to do a remake, but I don t think you can improve on perfection!

 4. Se7en (1995) David Fincher is one of the finest directors working today. As well as Se7en, he is also responsible for The Game (1997), Fight Club (1999), Zodiac (2007) and of course, the newly-released version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011.) His thrillers are always exceptional. For me, Se7en is his finest. There are absolutely no weak links. The script, the craftsmanship and the performances compliment each other perfectly, and Fincher succeeds in visually creating a world that reflects its inhabitants: dirty, violent, polluted and often depressing (Fincher.) What is also interesting is that, in this story of the hunt for a serial killer, the murders themselves are never shown. The power of the thrillers seems to come from the ability to affect your audience without entering the realms of exploitation. Fincher is very selective in what he chooses to show us and this makes Se7en all the more thrilling, as we often are left imagining the sickest parts that we never see. This is just one of the many reasons why I love Fincher!

5. Psycho (1960) As I m sure my lovely readers are all very aware, Alfred Hitchcock is the Master of Suspense. If you don t know who he is, spend 10 minutes in the Naughty Corner and then go and rent this film. Hitchcock broke many rules (including being the first person to show a toilet on film) and made up new ones as he went along. Psycho may not necessarily be his best work, but it is certainly the most wellknown, as well as the top moneymaking film of Hitchcock s career. #1 on the AFI s list of 100 Years 100 Thrills, Of course, there is the now-famous score, which Hitchcock himself said created 33% of the effect of this film. It can be very easy for one to forget the power of both sound and silence in thrillers, but Hitchcock schools us here. There is also the pivotal scene of the murder of Janet Leigh s character, better known as the famous Shower Scene. Killing off the main character 40 minutes or so into the film is one way to certainly shake up your audience. It creates the Alienation Effect more commonly associated with the theatre of Brecht. The audience is put on edge and is now fully aware that they are in a world where anything might happen. This sensation runs all the way through to the film s triumphant and shocking climax. This film should be the first port of call for Hitchcock beginners. A thrilling ride and a work of cinematic art!

What makes a good thriller?

There are so many different components to thriller writing that it s one of the most difficult genres to succeed in as a writer. If you consider some of the most successful thrillers, their storylines are often quite farfetched yet the writer must tell the story in such a way that the audience can perceive it to be real and become totally absorbed by it.

 Creating a Sense of Danger A thriller needs to have a central main character (protagonist) who finds themselves in danger. Often, the plot of a thriller will seek to isolate the protagonist from the world around them to the extent that we get to learn much more about their inner feelings and all about the predicaments they re faced with. To do this successfully, you need to be able to portray their sense of loss, betrayal, feeling as though they are on the edge and that their whole world is at risk of collapse. Quite often, they ll also be at risk of death at the hands of their main opponent (antagonist), although not necessarily in all thrillers. However, the important thing is to get the viewer to actually feel that the problems the protagonist encounters could actually happen to them and to be able to instill a sense of fear, dread and worry into the audience.

 The Importance of Pace If you re making a thriller film or video, you need to ensure that it s fast paced throughout. Very often, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the protagonist in a dilemma from the off and this enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.

 The Balance of Power Another important aspect of thriller writing is to ensure that the villain or antagonist always has the balance of power shifted in their favour for the vast majority of the film. The whole idea being to draw the audience in to the struggles the protagonist needs to try to overcome and to get the audience on the protagonist s side. Therefore, the villain must always be one step ahead up to the point of climax when the power shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.

 Twists and Turns Good thrillers try to lure the audience in to a false sense of security. They should be written from the point of view of taking the audience on a journey where they re not sure where they are going. Scenes which build to a point where the audience thinks they know what to expect but then the scene dramatically switches to an unforeseen outcome will maintain the suspense and tension.

 Character Growth Another important aspect of thriller writing is to ensure that the audience gets to know and understand all of the weaknesses and fears in the protagonist s character but as they come to overcome the challenges they re presented with, the film or video must also reflect their strength and determination and, in the final outcome, show how overcoming their greatest fears and rising to the challenges have made them into a better person. At the same time, it s also important to expose the antagonist s weaknesses and now their own fears as the balance of power shifts and good triumphs over evil.Quite often with thrillers, good writers will build to a climax where good eventually does win out but then when you think you can stop biting your finger nails and relax, the villain or antagonist will engage in one final attempt to undermine the hero before being thwarted for good.