Thriller Narrative/story research

The thriller genre features many different narratives that span across a wide range of ideas and styles, however there are the typical tropes when it comes to the thriller genre. The narrative generally has a slow build up at the start with a climactic ending where the pace fastens. This is to keep the audience engaged as they focus on this build up and prepare themselves for the ending.

There are five types of narrative, Linear narrative, which is one set path without many flashbacks and the story line is coherent, Nonlinear narrative, which is that the story is given through an illusion through broken narratives and may seem more like different films together. Interactive narration, where there is one narrative but the method of narration requires the user to actively work to gain the next piece of the narrative, Interactive narrative, which features a branching structure were a single start points leads to many developments and outcomes. Finally there is a circular narrative where the ending of the film is shown at the beginning. Thriller generally are linear as it is more set and is more lifelike in its style.

The major plots in thrillers typically are major crimes committed at various points in the movie, with the protagonists working to prevent more murders. However Thrillers may not always feature crime and may be more ambiguous in there plot, having a mysterious characters or an object that the protagonist has to find information about.

The character development in Thrillers generally is one of the main emphasises as the characters are the main focal point of the story. One example of this would be The Silence Of The Lambs where Clarice Sterling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter develop a weird relationship over the course of the film and the audience is supposed to follow this to see the developing relationship.

Thrillers may also feature an opposing side structure for there story. This is where the main protagonists motives should be easily recognisable and as a result of this there may be an opposing side to the story to try and stop the protagonist finishing there goal. For example the opposing side could be the police trying to stop a murder and they may get in the protagonists way to enact revenge on the murderer. This is turn can create many Binary opposites and juxtapose the characters against each other.