Genre Research Activity: The World of Psychological Thrillers

Friday, November 12, 2021

The World of Psychological Thrillers

What Defines a Psychological Thriller?
Psychological thrillers are a unique subgenre that contains elements of typical thrillers and horror films. A lot of themes are implicit, not outwardly said; thus, viewers typically have an intellectual mind, as twists and suspense must be followed intently. Adults tend to gravitate toward this genre, perhaps to analyze erratic behavior patterns found in our population.

Content:

EX: Joker (2019), the main character is insane, he often creates an uncomfortable mood.

Psychological thrillers are one of the most enjoyed genres that typically create successful movies. As such, many follow similar patterns:

The main character usually has a mental illness that makes their perspective severely unreliable and distorted. The term "psychological" is a perfect fit for this genre since the main characters often deal with mental issues. It does shake the pattern aspect, as creators can stretch their ideas outside the confines of what is initially expected in this genre. 

                       EX: Parasite (2019), the main characters are facing hardships that seem to justify their actions.                                   
Most of the time, the characters are faced with a hardship, like poverty. These hardships compel the audience to sympathize with the character's actions, even if they're morally wrong. It introduces an element of cognitive dissonance, having inconsistent thoughts or beliefs on what is deemed right or wrong concerning behavioral issues—a very manipulative yet fitting tactic.

             EX: Uncut Gems (2019), the main character puts himself in situations that make the audience feel on edge.          

Pangs of anxiety are often felt whilst consuming this type of media. Not only can the topics be a bit disturbing, but they also place us in the center of hypotheticals. If my life went wrong, would I take the same course of action to overcome it, or a different one? The discomfort and anxiety are all excellent factors of psychological thrillers. Given the same "psychological," it is supposed to mess with the audience's mind.

Production Techniques:

Sound, lighting, and color are all productions techniques that this genre uses to its advantage. Shepard's tones, auditory illusions, are commonly used to create rising tension and progression of the plot. Overall, sound effects and background music used are eerie and sharp, typically accompanied by a camera zoom to emphasize a particular character's action or presence.

Colors utilized, like horror, are dark and muted. If an object is colored brightly or boldly, that usually signals to the audience that it is significant to the progression of the plot.

The lighting in this genre is meant to keep a sense of mysteriousness. The difference between what is occurring in the movie and the information given to the audience creates a barrier; thus, creating mental tension. The lighting is typically dark, utilizes shadows, and underexposure to contort perception, and reveals little about the physicality of an ominous character. 

EX: The Killing of a Sacred Deer utilizes eerie sound effects and shadows to make the character, Martin (Barry Keoghan) seem suspicious and ominous.

Marketing: 

Psychological thrillers are marketed toward young adults and adults who can handle mature content. The audience typically contains intellectual individuals who are able to understand the plot thoroughly and want to solve it, like a puzzle. Like horror and thriller films, psychological thrillers are usually marketed toward males, as blood and violence draw them in. 

Movie posters for this genre contain:

• Close-ups on the main character.

• Extreme close-ups of the character's eyes.

• Close-ups on objects that serve as motifs in the film.
  
  

The close-ups tend to encapsulate the psychotic nature of the main character and their mental stability.

Examples:

Sample 1: 

The Shining

The Shining (1980) is a story that follows a family being paid to watch and maintain a hotel over the winter. The father, Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson), is a writer with severe writer's block and alcoholic tendencies. At age five, Danny Torrence (Danny Lloyd), the son, has a rare gift called the Shining. In the haunted hotel, Danny begins to have strange visions, and Jack starts to go insane. As tension rises, Jack becomes homicidal and terrorizes his family. The film often utilizes close-ups and Shepard tones to heighten suspense during turning point moments. Another significant aspect of this movie, like others of this genre, is the color design. The colors are typically muted, but when colors are shown boldly, they must be noted—for example, the bloody elevator scene. This movie poster depicts The Shining for elements of insanity, human nature, and keeping viewers attention: the embodiment of a psychological thriller.

Sample 2:

Gone Girl

Gone Girl (2014) is a story of a marriage between Amy (Rosamund Pike) and Nick (Ben Affleck). Although the wedding is seemingly perfect to the public, Amy goes missing to escape the pressure of being the perfect, cookie-cutter wife. Nick, being her husband, becomes the primary suspect in her disappearance or possible murder. The investigation and search for Amy occur, and their marriage falls apart. The preconceived notions of both Amy and Nick disappear. The movie is taut due to the impulsive and manipulative nature of Amy's behavior; the plot takes many turns. Amy has narcissistic tendencies and does a great job of making the audience, and the people involved in her case sympathize with her. This movie, like many movies of this genre, utilizes close-ups and Shepard tones to build tension. What makes this film unique are the voiceovers used for monologues. These voiceovers help the viewers get into the minds of those they are watching and really understand their broken thinking. This movie poster embodies the film and genre: muted hues, dull expressions, and split art to represent split thinking or a disturbed mind.

Additional Psychological Thriller Recommendations:

Get Out (2017)

Psycho (1960)

Circle (2015)

American Psycho (2000)

Silence of The Lambs (1991)

Us (2019)