And The Winner is...

    Thriller! After doing a whole lot of research, I and my team have decided to create a film opening with a suspense genre. Even though it has been a hard decision to make, we decided that it would be the best genre for the ideas we have come up with. Thrillers are meant to create excitement and suspense to the viewer; every scene gives the audience interest in watching the aftermath and how it will after the characters. 

    Even though "Thriller" is a modern term, this genre has excited since decades ago. The first time seeing this type of media in action was in 725 BCE in the Odyssey by Homer; however, this genre can't be successfully achieved without the essential elements that every thriller has. To begin with, it is crucial that every thriller has the element of suspense, where the director chooses not to expose the answer to everything, but rather have little moments throughout the story which will uncover the answer the audience expects at the end. Secondly, a hero. Thrillers are not like fairy tales, they don't necessarily contain a good-looking hero who saves the princess from the locked tower, but instead, a heroin in thriller is one who emerges from the trials they encounter. Most often is the main character, whom the director expands upon to create a heroic character. Since there's a hero, there's always a villain. This is the one person that antagonizes the hero. They are usually introduced shockingly, making emphasis on the fact that they are the person who is creating the hero's crisis. 

    A good example of the hero vs. villain scenario is the movie The Invisible Man (2020). In the movie, Cecilia (played by Elizabeth Moss) is not your average hero; however, due to her actions and how she acts upon the crisis the villain builds on her, shows how brave she is. The villain, on the other hand, Adrian Griffin (played by Oliver Jackson- Cohen) helps build that sense of suspense and excitement throughout the film. The audience does not know if Adrian is alive or if his ghost hunting her, until the end of the movie. This is a great strategy that the directors used to build suspense. 

    Every scene revealed an answer to if Adrian was alive or not, which is key for Thrillers. 

    A good thriller also needs red hearings. These are hints given by certain actions or characters to make the audience believe a false answer. This is often done to not give away the whole truth to the viewers until the very end of the film. This is also a great way where directors build that suspense. Moreover, most thrillers contain cliffhangers, where the expected action will suddenly happen, but the film cuts to another scene, leaving the audience wanting more. And finally, an exciting climax. This is the scene that the whole movie is built upon, and the one the viewers are waiting for the most. This is where the hero faces their biggest obstacle, and all of the other secrets that were kept a secret, are finally revealed. 

    This is visible in the Bird Box (2018) where at the end of the movie all of the questions that the main character had, were answered. In the movie, Smith River, California, gets invaded by a monster called Cthulhu, which is a monster that will kill you if seen with the eye. The survivors are in the look for a safe place to live in. At the end of the movie, the main character Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, hears that by crossing the river, they will get to a safe sanctuary, which ends up being shown at the end of the movie. This is the secret revealed, which shows that people have been living there safely without fear of being killed by the monsters. 

   

    So yes, this genre is difficult to deliver if not met with all the important elements that build it. But, my teammates and I are up for the challenge and ready to create a successful film opening that will efficiently deliver all of these elements. 

Citations:

MasterClass. “Writing 101: What Is the Thriller Genre? Definitions and Examples of Thriller in Literature - 2021.” MasterClass, www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-the-thriller-genre-definitions-and-examples-of-thriller-in-literature#quiz-0.