Thriller Characters research

Characters play a large role in the thriller genre. The characters is the main focus across all film genres and is the thing filmmakers want you to focus on the most. There are two main characters types, antagonist and protagonist. The film genre generally features something mysterious happening to the character or portrays a crime that has happened. Compared to other genres there can be a wide range of characteristics in the thriller genre however like all films and the genre that goes with them there are typical conventions and stereotypes that fit to a thriller character usually having the main protagonists and antagonists be men and the females are usually side characters or supporting characters however there are some films that do not conform to this, such as Silence of the Lambs where it features the main protagonist as a women.

The typical female role is:
-The victim or person being killed in the story.
-Young and seen as vulnerable.
-Can be seen sometimes as a femme fatale style characters.
-Conforms to the final girl theory of the weaker character surviving in the end.
-Gets captured or murdered by the antagonist/goes missing.
-Needs to be saved by a stronger male character.
-Lower prevalence compared to male counterparts.
-Can be used more for sex appeal to male audiences.

The typical Male role is:
-Can be portrayed as both the antagonist and protagonist with the men typically taking both roles.
-Higher prevalence compared to female counterparts.
-Independent and forward thinking/quick witted.
-Can be seen as the stronger character.
-Usually seen saving the female from the antagonist.
-More intelligent.

However these are just the typical connotations associated with the thriller genre and there are some films that subvert these roles. The typical character archetypes are very similar to the horror genre with only some slight differences between them. One film that subverts these is Eden Lake where we think the main protagonist, who is a women is going to survive in the end which would conform to the final girl theory. However in the end she is captured and killed and both protagonists die meaning the antagonists win which is not typical in the thriller genre.