The Elements of a Perfect Thriller: Edge-of-Your-Seat Suspense

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A thriller is a work of fiction that is designed to keep viewers interested with intrigue, adventure, and suspense. Whether it is a mystery or a main character racing against time or from someone. Thrillers are designed to keep viewers on their toes during the film’s runtime.  However, just because a movie is in the thriller genre doesn’t mean it delivers that edge-of-your-seat experience.  A perfect thriller follows specific elements that help elevate the film’s suspense.

The Silence of the Lambs 

One of the most iconic thrillers ever made, The Silence of the Lambs has been a genre staple. It follows a young FBI agent who seeks help from an unlikely source. Clarice Startling is on the trail of serial killer Buffalo Bill, who has been skinning his victims. To better understand the killer, she seeks advice from cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  However, Hannibal is a manipulative person, and she soon learns she will have to play along with his game. Aside from the race-against aspect, the titular character, Hannibal, makes this thriller an edge-of-your-seat watch. His uncomfortable dead stare into the camera and his monotone voice not only make Clarice’s skin crawl but the viewers. 

Oldboy

After being kidnapped and imprisoned for unknown reasons for 15 years, Dae-Su Oh is released. Unsure of who kidnapped him or why, Dae-Su sets out to seek revenge on who tortured him all those years. As well as search for the young daughter he left behind when he was taken. Teaming up with television chef Mi-do, who he feels has a strong connection with, they start putting the clues together.

However, as they uncover and put the puzzle pieces together, the truth is more shocking than expected. Filled with action-packed fight sequences and an unnerving mystery, Oldboy is an essential film in the thriller genre. Almost every scene is a crucial piece to uncovering the truth that may take a second watch to catch. That is if you can stomach another watch-through of this thriller.  

Green Room 

Racing against time is a significant factor in a good thriller. However, keeping the protagonist in one spot while fighting to survive ups the stakes. A struggling punk band accepts a gig at a secluded concert venue to help make ends meet. However, the sketchy bar is a meet-up spot for Neo-Nazis. When the group accidentally witnesses a murder, they become trapped in the venue’s green room. Now, the new targets of the skin-head gang, the band must fight their way out. The majority of Green Room takes place in a cramped room as the clock is ticking on their lives.  Making the viewers feel just as claustrophobic and trapped as the punk band is. 

Run 

Teenager Chole is confined to a wheelchair and is home-schooled by her mother, Diane. She grows suspicious after accidentally coming across a Change of Name document with her mother’s name on it. When she tries to search for her name, the internet disconnects, and she notices her mother’s changed behavior. Worried about her safety and the secrets her mother might be hiding, Chloe decides to escape. However, due to her relying on a wheelchair and her mother’s help, she struggles not to get caught. Run is an intense game of cat and mouse between mother and daughter. 

Law Abiding Citizen

After Clyde Shelton’s family is brutally murdered, he trusts this justice system will do what’s right. Due to only having circumstantial evidence, DA Nick Rice has two of the murderers testify against each other. However, this causes one of the murderers to be released ten years after the crime. Shelton, fed up with the system, decides it’s an all-out war between him, the justice system, and the men who murdered his family. Trying to stop him, Rice must catch Shelton before he strikes again. Starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, Law Abiding Citizen is a race-against-time thriller with a harsh look at the American justice system. 

Final Thoughts On A Perfect Thriller 

A good thriller consistents of high stakes as well as an ominous threat. Whether the threat is considered wrong or not, the suspense of their next move elevates these thrillers. As well as the suspense of the protagonist of the film racing against the clock. Following people from all backgrounds as they must fight a common enemy or system.  Thrillers like in its name are made to make viewers anxious, and these films display that best. 

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