5 Important Factors for a Thriller

5 Important Factors for a Thriller


Some of the most successful thrillers quite often have far fetched story lines as there are so many different components to thriller writing, yet the writer must tell the story in such a way that the audience see it as believable and can be totally entranced by it. In my opinion, there are five very vital points everyone needs to consider when come to make a good thriller film.

Creating a Sense of Danger

In most thriller films you see, there is bound to be a central main character that ends up in danger somewhere. Often, the character will be isolated from the world around them to give the audience a much wider insight to their inner feelings and emotions. In order to achieve this successfully, there needs to be a great sense of loss and betrayal. Another word for this type of character is a ‘Protagonist’.
It is also quite likely that the protagonist will be at risk of death, or worse, at the hands of their main opponent; also known as the antagonist. The antagonist is not crucial to use in thriller films, although they do build up a great sense of excitement for the audience. Antagonist or no antagonist, the important thing to remember when coming to make a successful thriller is to get the audience to literally feel the problems which the protagonist encounters and to get them to realise that it could happen to them which will drive force of fear, worry and dread through them. Therefore, considering the previous factors, I would think that since J.M.T productions focus on a niche market, if they were to make a thriller, they should include all of the points in this paragraph.

The Balance of Power

The second ever so very important aspect of making a thriller is balance of power. This ensures that the antagonist (villain) has the balance of power shifted in their favour throughout the majority of the film. This absolutely vital point draws the audience’s attention into the feelings and struggles the protagonist needs to try and overcome. This nicely places the audience onto the protagonist’s side for the battle of good and evil where the villain is always one step ahead, until the climax of the movie when the power balance shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.

The Importance of Pace

I’m sure that everyone has previously watched a thriller in the past and has got very bored after the first 40 minutes. When one makes a thriller film or video, they must make sure that it is fast paced throughout in order to make it work. Usually, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the main character (the protagonist) in a dilemma from the very start which enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.

Twists and Turns

Most good thrillers use twists and turns to attempt to draw the audience into a false sense of security where they should be led on an adventurous journey, unsure of what lies ahead. An excellent way to maintain the suspense and tension is to have scenes which build up to a certain point where the audience think they know exactly what to expect and to then dramatically change the scene to and unforeseen outcome

Character Growth

Another important aspect of making a great thriller is to make sure that the audience get to know and understand all of the fears and weaknesses of the protagonist’s character. Also, as they begin to overcome the challenges they are given, the film or video also must reflect their determination and strength and have the final outcome showing that how they have overcome their greatest fear and rising to the challenges they were set, has made them a better person. At the same time, it is also important to show the antagonist’s weakness and their fears as the balance of power finally shifts and good wins against evil.

Often in thrillers, good writers build up to a climax where good wins and the audience feel they can finally relax and stop biting their finger nails, when the villain will have one final attempt to beat the hero before being finished for good.