Thriller Movie Primer

With May being light on theatrical releases in the middle of the month, I decided to fill the time with a second genre primer. This primer is for thrillers. The thriller genre is in between the action and horror genres with nonstop tension and anxiety but usually not a ton of action sequences or scary moments. The thriller genre has been done by main standout directors with Alfred Hitchcock being the king of the genre but also others such as David Fincher, M. Night Shyamalan, Christopher Nolan, and others. With all that said, here is the Thriller Genre Primer.

1. Vertigo (1958)

You can't have a thriller primer without the king of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo is one of his many well-known films and is not only a staple of the thriller genre but of film history in general. The film was innovative in its camera techniques and cinematography. It is also a film that is cited as an inspiration and studied in school by almost all filmmakers. The movie also pioneered the edge-of-your-seat style of storytelling with its themes of obsession and identity while also blurring the ideas of reality and illusion.

2. North By Northwest (1959)

North By Northwest is the second Hitchcock film to make this list. This film, much like Vertigo, is a staple of the thriller genre and film history. This movie was the first to use kinetic typography in its opening title sequence (animation that integrates motion with text), something that you see in many films today, from Catch Me if You Can to James Bond. The movie is also one of the first to blend the thriller genre with comedy and a self-parodying approach. The movie also features several iconic scenes, such as the finale at Mount Rushmore or the chase at the train station. The movie is also widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

3. Psycho (1960)

Psycho is yet another Alfred Hitchcock thriller. He has made so many influential films that two of them had to go on this list. The movie laid the groundwork for both horror and thrillers to come with its building of suspense and foreshadowing. The shower scene is also one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic, scenes in all of movie history and has been parodied and spoofed hundreds of times. It was also one of the first major films to subvert expectations, so much so that it shocked audiences because what was done was unheard of, and insert huge twists that change the way you view the movie. The movie is also iconic in its main character, Norman Bates, and its main score. It is yet another film that is essential to any aspiring filmmaker.

4. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Silence of the Lambs is one of the few films that has achieved the Big 5 sweep at the Oscars (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture). This movie was groundbreaking in its use of a female protagonist in a male-dominated industry especially in the cop thriller subgenre. The movie set the standard for serial killer thrillers making them more grounded and really. Silence of the Lambs was one of the first films to start the serial killer thriller craze that would go on to dominate cinema. Character-wise, the film features one of the most iconic characters in all movies with Hannibal Lecter. You will find him on almost all top movie villain lists. He is yet another villain that has been spoofed countless times since this film.

5. Seven (1995)

Seven is the film that put David Fincher on the map and is also one of the most defining detective thrillers. This movie is innovative in its use of suspense and psychology to manipulate things. The movie also lays the groundwork and formula for all detective thrillers to come. The movie has huge cultural significance from the memorable killer to the iconic ending. The ending itself is widely regarded as one of the most shocking endings in all of cinema.

6. The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense is another groundbreaking thriller that put its director M. Night Shyamalan on the map. The movie balances both horror and thriller while exploring the idea of human connection through supernatural elements. The movie has very iconic moments such as "I see dead people" and also contains probably the greatest twist ending of all time. The ending is so memorable that it is still cited today when people talk about a good twist. The twist of The Sixth Sense is also what set the bar for M. Night Shyamalan and is something that he hasn't been able to recreate since.

7. Memento (2000)

Memento is yet another groundbreaking thriller that put its director, Christopher Nolan, into the spotlight. This movie established new rules for how a story could be told. Before this point, most movies were told linearly with maybe some flashbacks sprinkled in. Memento tells its story backwards as to put the audience in the same position as the main character, Leonard. Memento is another one of the movies that is studied in film school because of its unique storytelling approach.

8. Zodiac (2007)

Zodiac is another David Fincher film on the list. While Seven was integral in the detective subgenre, Zodiac was crucial to the investigative journalism side of the serial killer subgenre. This movie, along with Seven, is widely regarded as one of the best serial killer movies ever made. Zodiac was also key to launching the true crime genre in both the fictional and documentary sense. You will see many true crime films today that have taken inspiration from Zodiac, such as how the story is told and how information is shared. The movie also explores ideas on obsession, which is also something key in many true crime narratives today.

9. Gone Girl (2014)

Gone Girl is the third David Fincher film to make the list. Gone Girl takes on the idea of marriage struggles along with the media's impact on public opinion and balances them both in a complex thriller. Gone Girl is also one of the biggest movies to have a WTH moment partway through the movie that changes everything about this film. Gone Girl has also had a huge cultural impact as it sparked conversations about societal expectations and gender norms. The movie also caused a shift in the book and film industries with a spike in more dark psychological thrillers with complex female characters such as A Simple Favor, Promising Young Woman, and Strange Darling.

10. Parasite (2019)

Parasite is the newest movie to make the primer. Parasite is another one of those movies with a big WTH moment in the middle of the film that changes everything. The movie has both thrills and social commentary as it takes on ideas about the class system. Parasite is also a groundbreaking film as it was the first foreign film to win Best Picture at the Oscars and influenced the academy to look at more foreign movies. The movie is largely considered one of the best movies of the 21st century and a modern-day masterpiece.