The Words Thriller and Suspense Are Often Used Interchangeably to Describe Plots Which

CONCEP 86 T A Thriller Keeps You Guessing from Start to Finish

The words “thriller” and “suspense” are often used interchangeably to describe plots which zigzag from one menacing surprise to the next. Usually at the center of all this intrigue is a protagonist who unwittingly stumbles upon a shocking secret, witnesses an assassination, or gets involved with some sort of risky escape or dangerous mission for which he or she possesses no matching skills. Murder mysteries are a popular offshoot of this genre, as are dark plots involving medical malpractice, political corruption, high-tech spies and manipulation of courtroom jurors. There is also a substantive crossover into genres such as sci-fi and horror in which a state of paranoia is induced for the characters (and audience) by shadowy alien predators and slick psycho stalkers. One of the masters of putting innocent bystanders into nail-biting jeopardy was Alfred Hitchcock. His fascination with the shady and/or twisted side of human character is reflected in such works as Vertigo, Lifeboat, Dial M for Murder, Strangers on a Train, and Psycho. This was also a man who made everyone look at crows and seagulls with a wary eye after the release of The Birds, a chilling film in which a seaside community on the northern California coast falls prey to an inexplicable airborne attack. Any of Hitchcock’s films are great study material for understanding the thriller genre. Truly riveting stories, of course, derive from subjects close to home; specifically, those that reside under the same roof. In The Bad Seed, a perfect little daughter is actually a perfectly cold- blooded killer. In Sleeping with the Enemy, a wife has to fake her own death to escape an abusive husband. And in Rebecca, the new Mrs. DeWinter discovers that adjusting to life at Manderlay might call for a change of household staff.

LOOK & LEARN

In 2001, the American Film Institute released its list of the 100 most thrilling films.* Among those you’ll find at www.afi.com are: o The Silence of the Lambs o Laura o Double Indemnity o 12 Angry Men o Fatal Attraction o Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? o Marathon Man o The Manchurian Candidate o Cape Fear o North by Northwest

*Many of these are combined with elements of sci-fi, horror, and action/adventure. BRAINSTORMER Answer ONES of the questions below in complete sentences. 1. What is the most thrilling or suspenseful movie you have ever seen? What creative devices were used to keep you guessing about the outcome of the story? 2. Your new next-door neighbor is a nice-enough person who always seems to invite a lot of people over. The curious thing, though, is that during the past month you have never seen any of them actually leave. He has now invited your parents to dinner at the end of the week. How would you go about finding out what’s going on? And what exactly is going on? 3. In The Bourne Identity, a man discovers that he has no memory but lots of money, lots of specialized skills…and lots of enemies. If you were this character, how would you go about discovering your identity before the bad guys can discover your whereabouts? (And did we also mention that you only have twenty-four hours to accomplish this?)

Screenwriting for Teens, (Hamlett) pp. 171-172