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Lesson 1
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Fracture (2007), written by Glenn Gers, Daniel Pyne
What I learned: This movie is exciting because the game is played on many levels, and we don’t know who wins – to keep engagement all the time is the most difficult in writing for me.
2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
<div>Unwitting
but Resourceful Hero: Willy Beachum, the young District Attorney
</div><div>Dangerous
Villain: Ted Crawford, a structural engineer in Los Angeles – shoots his
wife
</div><div>High
stakes: Ted Crawford confesses to the Police but then changes it to „not
guilty”. He will defend himself in court – his stake is freedom. Willy
Beachum has a successful career and is actually on his way to a lucrative
position in a big private law firm – his desire to win keeps him on the
case.
</div><div>Life and
death situations: The main theme is the mental game between the two.
Crawford is smart, but one mistake and he’ll go to jail. His opponent is
clever and ambitious, but a failure can ruin his career.
</div><div>3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
</div>
• Big Mystery: Who wins the battle?
• Big Intrigue: The attorney learns that the evidence cannot be accepted in the trial, and despite knowing that Ted is the killer, the murder weapon is missing and he needs to get new evidence, otherwise he will lose the case and Ted will be a free man.
• Big Suspense: Will the Attorney find the evidence of a murder?Joanna Bielak
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Convention of Thrillers Assignment 1
What did I learn from this lesson
I learned the absolutely necessary elements required for the thriller genre and how they ramp up the intrigue and suspense.
1 Movie: The Foreigner – Starring Jackie Chan, and Pierce Brosnan
2 Conventions
A. Unwitting but resourceful Hero – Ngoc Minh Quan tries to find a terrorist bomber that has killed his daughter. He is an older, successful business owner who loves his daughter and is a rule follower.
B. Dangerous Villain – Liam Hennessy, deputy First Minister and former IRA terrorist is playing a deadly game to influence his political support.
C. High Stakes – if the terrorists have their way, the British Army will once again hold sway of Ireland, causing the war to continue.
D. Life and death situations – Quan exposes himself against high odds to create fear in Hennessy, trying to get him to give up the names of the bombers. He puts himself at risk each time. He is at further risk, when Hennessy brings in a professional tracker.
E. The moving is thrilling because? As he exposes unbelievable skills for a quiet older man, the secret life Quan comes from keeps us riveted. The secret that Hennessy carries is exposed slowly, which keeps the tension building.
3 B.I.M.
· Big Mystery – Who killed Quan’s daughter and why?
· Big Intrigue – How does Quan have the skills to do what he is doing?
· Big Suspense – Will he be successful?
4 What else made this a great thriller?
Multiple plots within the IRA organization.
· Hennesseys; wife’s revenge.
· Plot by right-wing terrorists.
· Nephew’s attraction to Hennessey’s wife.
· Reporter becomes mule for bomb.
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What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of applying the conventions of a thriller to creating a movie that keeps the audience guessing to the very end.
(Klute, 1971) Thriller Conventions
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Clean-cut, small town cop John Klute, who appears to be in way over his head when he is asked to look into the mysterious disappearance of an old friend.
Dangerous Villain: Peter Cable, a sophisticated, senior executive at a major New York corporation whose role remains hidden until the very end.
High stakes: Klute’s friend has been missing for a year and the FBI is giving up the search. Is he alive or dead? Is he the mysterious man stalking a sex-trade worker in New York? Will Klute find his friend where the FBI has failed?
Life and death situations: Klute has one lead – Bree Daniels, a sex-trade worker who is being terrorized by a mysterious stalker. Klute must keep her alive to find his friend.
This movie is thrilling because? Klute must rise above his small-town roots and overcome Bree’s suspicions of him while moving through the sleazy underbelly of New York if he is to have any chance of finding his friend.
Big Mystery: What happened to Klute’s friend?
Big Intrigue: What is the connection between the missing friend and sex-trade worker Bree Daniels?
Big Suspense: Will Klute be able to keep Bree alive and find his friend?
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I watched THE FUGITIVE (1993) written by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy.
What I learned doing this assignment is that every scene must work in a way that efficiently advances the story line, while ticking as many of the genre conventions as possible without seeming contrived or forced. On reflection, I believe it’s still one of the best thriller movies ever written and produced.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: It goes without saying that respected surgeon Dr Richard Trimble is a smart, resourceful hero who manages to keep one step ahead of antagonistic forces. But he’s also unwitting and unsuspecting; an inherently kind, caring professional, the flips side of which he is maybe too trusting of his supposed friends and colleagues in the respectable, upstanding medical profession.
Dangerous Villain: The villain, Dr Charles Nichols, employed by Devlin McGregor Pharmaceuticals, is equally smart, successfully orchestrating the murder of the hero’s wife Helen, in a way that clearly incriminates the hero, with proof to the contrary almost impossible to obtain, at least until the resourceful hero makes it his mission. In the meantime, the villain cleverly harnesses the law, and authorities who uphold it, to do whatever it takes to make life difficult for the hero until he an be apprehended, again.
High stakes: Something dangerous is happening or about to happen in almost every scene. After the bus crash and hero’s decision to escape, itself a high stakes gamble, the hero is at an unfair advantage. His decision to return to hospital, now crawling with cops, to treat his bullet wound. The ambulance vs helicopter chase afterwards. Breaking into the prosthetics department even with staff on high alert for his likely presence. Meeting the suspect killer in jail right under the nose of the law. Personally confronting the villain as he addresses investors, publicly accusing him of falsifying results.
Life and death situations: The hero decides to jump into a waterfall in a desperate bid to escape police apprehension and certain re-incarceration.
This movie is thrilling because every scene is tense and full of jeopardy, steadily driving the story to a surprising, relieving & satisfying conclusion.
Big Mystery: Who really killed Dr Trimble’s wife Helen?
Big Intrigue: Charles Nicolls and accomplices have for years been manipulating research trials data for commercial gain, quietly disposing of anyone who might get in their way, relying on the laziness of local police to stay undetected.
Big Suspense: Will Dr Trimble survive to uncover enough evidence to convict the killer and associates?
4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? Yes, there’s a plot twist towards the end when police are told to bring Trimble in dead or alive. You feel all is lost but then several minutes later, hope is restored when police change orders to bring him in alive.
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‘Coma’ (1978) Thriller Conventions – written by Michael Crichton
What I learned doing this assignment is, no matter how old the script, a great structure is still a great structure. I found that it’s still quite thrilling. I also like that the character pushed for her rights as a person back in 1978 (this was adapted from a novel written in ‘77) which is part of why she pushed to find out the truth of the situation and also made the story seem “current”.
The reason I rewatched this after many years is because my script’s concept involves the state of coma.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Susan, a surgeon, presses to learn the medical truth of how her best friend ended up in a coma and then died, then finds an even deeper meaning beyond the medical. Even though her boyfriend tells her she’s cold (not human), it’s her humanity that allows her to succeed.
Dangerous Villain: The chief whom Susan regarded as a father figure is the one running the organ-harvesting ring along with other cooperative medical people (betrayal).
High stakes: She’s going to probably lose her job if she keeps probing but she does anyway. It’s life and death not only for Susan but for many patients who enter the hospital for the simplest of procedures and end up in comas.
Life and death situations: Susan is threatened by the chief to get fired; then she’s followed and chased; the maintenance guy gives her a clue and he’s murdered by the guy chasing Susan; then she’s shot at; her boyfriend thinks she’s delusional and it appears he’s a part of whatever’s going on (mislead/betrayal?); she’s chased through the coma institute by threatening medical people; she discovers that people are put into comas so their body parts can be harvested and auctioned for big money.
This movie is thrilling because? It’s non-stop between Susan finding one clue after another, following those clues, and you’re not sure who’s for/against her. Susan wants what she wants – relentlessly pursues her goal to get to the bottom of the mystery – and she doesn’t let anything stop her. I feared she’d end up in the coma and that institute, and she almost does.
Big Mystery: Why are so many patients becoming comatose during surgery?
Big Intrigue: How are the comas happening? The intrigue kept changing and escalating around this question.
Big Suspense: Is one of the people in on the organ-harvesting scheme going to catch and kill her? Worse, she ends up as a nearly comatose surgical patient. I was always rooting for Susan because her intentions were noble and she didn’t give up.
Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? I like how in the beginning the writer took time to explain how the anesthesia process worked so we’d “understand” how the comas happened.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Tina Howe.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Who am I
German Movie by Baran bo Odar (Dark, Sleepless) available at Netflix, YouTube, Amazon PrimeWhat I learned doing this assignment is that if I go through the following eight questions I can set the basis for a good thriller.
2.1. Unwitting but resourceful hero: Benjamin is somebody who is “not seen” by others, but he knows how to handle a computer. And he wants to get in touch with his idol MRX.
2.2. Dangerous villain: Dyber Crime Detective Hanne Lindberg who wants to catch him.
2.3. High stakes: Benjamin and his three friends will go to jail if they are caught for their coups are getting ever more dangerous. And they are also getting the attention of MRX who is defending his throne.
2.4. Life and death situations: All their hacks, especially when their idol MRX gives a clear sign that he disapproves their actions they find themselves being chased by two fractions: MRX and the BND.
2.5. This movie is thrilling because the movie starts off with Benjamin finding his friends murdered in a hotel room followed by Benjamin sitting in an interrogation cell. There he starts telling his story what happened on his way of finding out WHO AND WHAT HE IS.
3.1. Big Mystery: Who is Benjamin and what made him who he is now in this interrogation cell.
3.2. Big Intrigue: The German Secret Service, the BND.
3.3. Big Suspense: Two: Is he able to become No. 1 and before the BND gets him.
4. One of the best German movies, also because of its ending.
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Side Effects was directed by Steven Soderbergh and starred Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. This is a psychological thriller with several plot twists.
Unwitting but resourceful Hero: Dr. Banks (Jude Law), current psychiatrist for 28-year-old Emily (Mara).
Dangerous villain: Initially, we think it’s only Emily’s former psychiatrist, Dr. Seibert (Zeta-Jones), but in one of the plot twists later on, it is revealed to us that it also is Emily, who conspires with Dr. Seibert.
High stakes: After Dr. Banks is convinced (by Emily & Dr. Seibert, in their underhanded ways) to put Emily on Ablixa for her depression, Emily murders her gorgeous husband, Martin (Tatum), while feigning one of the alleged side effects of Ablixa, sleepwalking. (Martin has just been released from prison for insider trading, and near the very end of the movie, we learn that Emily has taught Dr. Seibert all that Emily learned from her husband).
Life and death situations: When Emily goes on trial for the murder, she makes a deal with the prosecution and is acquitted of murder (because when sleepwalking, no intent) in exchange for being admitted to a psychiatric hospital as a victim of Ablixa’s side effects and followed up by Dr. Banks. Meanwhile, Dr. Banks is blamed for directly causing the murder of Martin by Emily, and he loses everything: his practice, his income from consulting with Big Pharma, and his wife and very cute stepson.
This movie is thrilling because at first, Emily appears to us be deeply depressed, everyone knows she is, and she appears to try to complete suicide twice—always in public (so that she has witnesses as to her depression, Dr. Banks learns at the same time we, the viewers, learn). When she murders Martin (3 well-placed stabs with a chef’s knife to his body), we are starting to wonder whether she’s truly sleepwalking, but mostly we are, even though we’re thinking that that knife must be sharp as hell for that small-boned woman to be able to kill big, strong Martin to where he can’t even put up a fight and he bleeds out on the floor. Anyway, it’s pretty eerie and chilling when we realize that sweet little depressed Emily isn’t sweet or depressed at all.
Big Mystery: Is Emily truly a victim of Ablixa and didn’t intend to murder her husband?
Big Intrigue: How is Dr. Seibert involved because surely she is: she is Emily’s former psychiatrist, so Dr. Banks touches base with her a number of times to ask her questions about Emily and about Ablixa.
Big Suspense: Will the determined Dr. Banks be able to uncover an alternate truth, even though we watch Emily “sleepwalking” and stabbing her husband, so there doesn’t appear to be another truth that can save Dr. Banks’s reputation, his career, and bring his family back to him.
Anything else that made this movie a great thriller? I like that we were in the dark with Dr. Banks and were finding clues and piecing them together to learn the truth along with him.
What
I learned from doing this assignment is that although I usually abhor the
perfect, happy ending, this ending was very satisfying because not only did the
kind and handsome Dr. Banks get his entire life back, he also took a
super-clever revenge against each villain (gave them a taste of their own medicine, shall
we say)—he got Emily committed back into the psychiatric hospital where she
clearly was drugged and a zombie staring out the little window of the stone-cold
institution, and he got Dr. Seibert taken off in handcuffs for insider trading
on Ablixa stock. Sweet! -
Hi! I watched FRESH (2022) – Available on Hulu.
I learned from this assignment how helpful it is to look at the conventions to create a satisfying thriller.
• Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Noa is a woman looking for her perfect match on dating apps. She’ll use flirting as a weapon to trick Noa and escape.
• Dangerous Villain: Brendan (Steve, as Noa first knows him) is an insane human meat butcher and distributor who takes Noa as his next victim/ date.
• High stakes: Noa’s life. Her best friend’s life. The life of the other two women in captivity.
• Life and death situations: Noa realizes other women are in captivity too and Brendan has harvested some parts of their bodies. The first time Noa tries to escape, Brendan cuts her buttocks as punishment. Noa seduces Brendan and bites his testicles. When they run into the woods, Brendan follows them with a gun. Brendan’s wife tries to strangle Noa in the woods.
• This movie is thrilling because it has you worried about Noa and the other woman in captivity, wondering how they will survive.
3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
• Big Mystery: How can Noa escape from Brendan’s captivity?
• Big Intrigue: Seduce and kill young women, not only for himself to eat but also to sell to his clients.
• Big Suspense: Will Brendan kill and eat Noa?
4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
I enjoyed the little moments of hope that were shattered and made me constantly question how she can survive this. For being horror, it was entertaining to watch without the gore, but the subtext.
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ASSIGNMENT 1 – THRILLER CONVENTIONS – “THE CONTRACTOR”
What I learned doing this assignment is The Contractor may not have been a ‘Great Thriller’ as thrillers go mostly due to a slow start, but it used enough of the thriller conventions to make you worry for the protagonist and wonder how he and his little family were going to survive.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: James Harper, a dedicated and decorated Green Beret is discharged from the army due to steroid use for his chronic knee pain. To support his family he asks his best friend Mike to get him a job with a private security contractor, Rusty Jennings. His first assignment is to investigate a research virology laboratory determined to have ties to Al-Qaeda. James is ordered to recover the research data and eliminate the scientist. But James has not been told the truth.
Dangerous Villain: Rusty Jennings who hires disaffected ex-military for covert missions. He proclaims to be creating a tribe of men that can count on each other unlike the military that “chewed them up and spit them out”. Rusty is less than honourable, takes jobs from corporate clients with unscrupulous intentions and is willing to sacrifice his own men on missions to keep things quiet.
High stakes: James’ life. MIke’s life. Welfare of families. The experimental virus will save thousands of people world-wide when distributed for free but corporations want to make money selling it.
Life and death situations: Infiltrating the research lab; shootout with police; attack by other operatives; attack at safe house; confrontation with Mike; attack on Rusty’s compound.
This movie is thrilling because? The realistic and ominous tone of the film. Short on dialogue and focussed on the self-contained protagonist who is damaged by both his upbringing and his dangerous career in the military.
3. Big Mystery: What is the mission really about? Who is trying to kill James?
Big Intrigue: The scientist who is supposedly into viral terrorism is really developing a serum to cure mankind of a deadly virus.
Big Suspense: Will James survive the target on his back to make it back to his family?
4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? The tense and understated acting by the protagonist. He seems like a bomb ready to go off – his relationship with father who deserted the family; financial pressures at home; losing his military career; losing military friends to suicide; needing to prove himself better than his father. The realization that he has been a pawn in killing the scientist leading him to be a target for elimination by his own company as well as the supposed betrayal by friend MIke are the last straws. He will never be able to return home unless he eliminates Rusty. Empathetic hero.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Norene Smiley.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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The Matrix Thriller conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is… now able to clearly see the stepped reveals that occur to almost continuously add to the danger and inform/intrigue the viewer and make the stakes of the sci-fi world real.
2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Neo/Thomas Anderson <div>
Dangerous Villain: The Matrix (AI), Agent Smith, Agents, Cypher
High stakes: Neo’s life, Trinity’s life, Morpheus’ life, Tank’s life, survival of human race, City of Zion, Tertially – Mouse, Apoc, Switch and Dozer.
Life and death situations: Trinity almost caught in Matrix spying on Neo, Thomas Anderson (Neo) caught at work, interrogated by Agents and bugged, bug removal, red/pill blue pill-rescue from sewer, Squiddy/EMP reveal,Deja Vu Trap leads to Morpheus sacrifice, Reveal Cypher’s ambush of team, Morpheus rescue – Lobby fight, rooftop battle (bullettime reveal), helicopter shootout, rescue Morpheus, helicopter crash, Subway fight (bullettime fight) – draw, Squiddies attack the Nebuchadnezzar (Tank, Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo in real world), Neo runs into ambush by Smith in Apartment – Killed in Matrix, Trinity’s “SnowWhite Kiss” revives, fights Agent Smith and destroys him, EMP destroys Squiddies just before ship destroyed.
This movie is thrilling because? It takes you to a new take on a familiar reality.3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: What is the Matrix? Is Neo the “One”? </div>
Big Intrigue: Matrix is trying to destroy the resistance and perhaps the One, and trying to destroy all remaining free humans by destroying Zion.
Big Suspense: Will the Matrix destroy Neo before he can become the One? Will Morpheus give away the secret codes for Zion?
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4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
The concepts in this film and the philosophy underpinning it have entered the zeitgeist and become part of everyday conversation to this day. What is also fascinating is that the writers and filmmakers themselves didn’t and don’t really understand what they made. See all the rest of the Wachowskis’ films for proof that this concept is far beyond them. Picked up Jean Baudrillard – Simulacra and Simulation and the filmmakers are scratching the surface of the nature of reality, the ideas. and the function of Simulacra in our society. But the “truths” in the philosophy ground this story like nothing else they have made. Arguably there has not been another film since, that has had the immediate and lasting effects on the average viewers perception of their reality or the language of filmmaking in the industry itself.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Jason ferrell.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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“The Commuter” Action Thriller
What I learned from this assignment was how soft subtle setups offer a myriad of unexpected twists and options for twists. I had seen “The Commuter” before, so it was an excellent choice. I was able to focus on all the setups at the beginning and see how they fit. The financial stress, loss of job, the drinks at the bar, the shady friend, and the captain coming over set us up to wonder who the bad guy would be.
The BIg mystery was who was the person they wanted to kill and why did they want to kill her. What did she have, and what did she know?
The Big Intrique was why Liam Neeson was chosen and coerced into this position.
The Big suspense was how would Michael / Liam handle the situation. Would he go along? Would he balk? Would he fold when his family’s lives were on the line? Could he find the person? What would he do when he found them?
In my opinion, it was a perfect example of all the things you have been talking about. After the film is over, we still do not KNOW who the villain actually is. He is ruthless, and Liam was not the only person he controlled. I love that all the loose ends were tied up and that he got to nail the girl who helped set him up, to begin with. I REALLY like this film because I could see a sequel. I am not sure that the ultimate scandal in the film was big enough to warrant a second film. But in my show, I want to do a trilogy. This helped me see how I could end a film with a great payoff and still leave questions for the next story.
I thought, “The Commuter was ok the first time I saw it. I absolutely loved it this time, seeing all the conventions and twists at work. I appreciated and enjoyed soooo much more this time.
They totally tripled the stakes when Liam’s innocent friend was shoved in front of the bus. It instantly took the stakes to a completely different level. We now KNOW this is life and death for everyone when the villain is willing to kill an innocent.
Great assignment! Love it!
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The Ghost Writer (2010), written by Robert Harris and Roman Polanski
5. What I learned from this lesson is how not to write a thriller.
2.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: The ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) while not an investigative reporter, uses Google to investigate the people involved with the Prime Minister (Pierce Brosnan)
Dangerous Villain: “Someone” is killing people over The PM’s Memoir
High stakes: Death and the PM could be a war criminal
Life and death situations: A suicide may have been a murder and the witnesses are being disposed of and someone is trailing the ghost writer (McGregor)
This movie is thrilling because? It unfortunately was not thrilling, it had the possibility of being thrilling but, too many plot holes.
3.
Big Mystery: The 2<sup>nd</sup> Ghost Writer (Ewan McGregor) begins to believe that the 1<sup>st</sup> Ghost Writer’s death wasn’t a suicide but a murder
Big Intrigue: The 1<sup>st</sup> Ghost Writer hid the identity of the CIA plant in the British Govt in the prose of the memoir and the CIA, supposedly, wants the manuscript before it gets published.
Big Suspense: Will the CIA or whoever it is that is tailing the 2<sup>nd</sup> Ghost Writer kill him.
4. “The Ghost Writer” was directed and co-written by Roman Polanski, the director of “Chinatown,” if “The Ghost Writer” is any indication of Polanski’s ability as a storyteller then the genius of “Chinatown” was all the screenwriter Robert Towne. “The Ghost Writer” had so much promise, a great mystery, betrayals, intrigue, an excellent cast (except for Ewan McGregor, I could believe him to be a wimp writer from England but no a resourceful hero here) but the plot holes are as big as the Grand Canyon. Arrogance and hubris are probably what got this Universal Pictures movie greenlit. An interesting premise was squandered. Did I mention that the hero used Google to find out someone worked for the CIA? That’s how bad the writing in this movie was.
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Mission: Impossible III (the one with Philip Seymour Hoffman as the bad guy)
Unwitting but resourceful Hero: Ethan Hunt, retired from IMF fieldwork and engaged, is pulled back into a special mission under false pretenses, and has to use all his skill and experience to expose the mole at IMF and save his wife from arms dealer Owen Davian.
Dangerous Villain: Owen Davian, an arms dealer, kidnaps Ethan’s wife, and forces Ethan to steal the Rabbit’s Foot to make a trade. He has considerable resources, connections within the IMF, and a fearless cruelty.
High stakes: Ethan’s life, his wife’s life, the team’s life, Davian’s life, the exposure of the mole inside IMF, allowing the Rabbit’s Foot to fall in the wrong hands, stopping war under false pretenses.
Life and death situations: Rescuing Ethan’s protege Lindsay, capturing Davian at the Vatican, the bridge ambush by mercenaries to extract Davian, stealing the Rabbit’s Foot in Shanghai, Davian shooting Ethan’s wife, Ethan fighting Davian and saving his wife.
This movie is thrilling because?: Throughout the story, we are constantly worried for Ethan as he continually faces death as he tries to save Julia from Davian, as well as survive the mole within the IMF.
Big Mystery: Who is Davian, and what dangerous item is he selling and to whom?
Big Intrigue: Davian is receiving help from someone inside the IMF.
Big Suspense: Will Ethan save his wife?
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What I learned – This exercise shows that the simple thriller conventions can create a crazy, fun, engaging psychological journey with relatively few locations, small cast all in a lower budget film.
My film choice – Disturbia, 2007
The Thriller Conventions
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Kale, an emotionally damaged teen is placed under electronic house arrest for the summer. Reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Kale becomes fixated on watching his neighbors; one a girl his age and the other could be a murderer.
Dangerous Villain: Neighbor Mr. Turner, a meticulous loner.
High stakes: After several “out of bounds” events and clashes with Mr. Turner, the cop assigned to Kale’s case clamps down on him.
Life and death situations: Kale believes he has seen clues that link Mr. Turner with several missing women. Now Kale and his two friends must prove his crafty neighbor’s guilt before his mom gets any closer to the man.
This movie is thrilling because? Kale can’t leave his house so he puts his buddy and his new love interest in peril to gather evidence on Mr. Turner.
Big Mystery: Is Mr. Turner a serial killer?
Big Intrigue: With Kale’s mounting trouble, can he discover the truth about Mr. Turner in time?
Big Suspense: Will Kale be able to protect his mom and girlfriend from the murderer?
Our hero is an average kid who made a few mistakes and gets pulled into a situation out of his control and way, way over his head. There but for the grace of God…
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Lenore Bechtel
THE PENTHOUSE Thriller Conventions
What I learned is that many unexpected twists and turns keep suspense built up in a movie..
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero is Peter, the Penthouse tenant, who watches a couple fighting frequently on a yacht docked within the marvelous view from eleven stories up.
Dangerous Villain is Charles who confines Tess to the boat while he cheats people needing storm renovations.
Peter’s wife Amanda befriends Tess when she comes to her shop.
Charles slaps Tess for leaving the boat.
Amanda suspects Tess’s facial bruise is from Charles.
Peter and Amanda see Charles in a bar, Peter tries to talk to him, but gets rejected.
Peter sees Charles taking boxes from the boat, and Tess is no longer around.
Charles apologies to Peter and invites him to the boat for beer. When Peter mentions Charles’ military days, Charles gets angry and tells him to leave.
Back in the penthouse, suspense builds as Peter can’t find Amanda although she’s at an event he knew she was going to.
The next day Peter gets arrested, charged with trespassing and stalking. There’s a video of him looking at Charles military memorabilia when going to the head and getting a beer.
Police won’t believe anything is suspicious about Charles, but have the video evidence against Peter.
The stakes get higher. Peter faces jail although he’s released on bond.
Peter is awakened by someone trying to get in the penthouse. Suspense builds when it happens a second night when alarm goes off. Peter gets a gun, finds no one, but leaves the gun out.
The next day Charles enters the penthouse, takes a sword from the wall, breaks the glass on a picture, and sprawls on a couch smoking a cigar.
Amanda spots all the things changed in the penthouse, but police don’t seem to take it seriously. She blames Peter because he should not have watched Charles and Tess from above.
It’s up to Peter to prove he’s good and Charles is bad. He googles and discovers that Charles was honorably discharged for stealing government property. He suspects he killed Tess.
When Peter discovers their dog Humphrey is missing, he drives his boat to Charles’ yacht, gets on it and finds Humphrey. He puts Humphrey in his boat, but Charles arrives before he gets in it himself.
Charles shoots a missed shot at Peter and the two then confront each other in the belly of the boat.
Peter accuses Charles of killing Tess, and he says he weighted her body and dumped her in the water.
Charles aims the gun at Peter and pulls the trigger, but there’s not another bullet. Peter pushes the sword into his heart.
Police by now have discovered the Charles follows storms along the water, gets 50% of a promised renovation job, and never returns to do the work.
Divers find Tess’s body in the red dress she bought from Amanda’s shop.
Peter and Amanda plan to move out of the penthouse and away from the bad memories.
This movie started with a realtor showing the penthouse to Peter and Amanda, who immediately fell in love with it. It ends with the same realtor showing it to another couple with the same reaction.
The Big Mystery was: Did Charles kill Tess?
The Big Intrigue was: Charles always outwitted Peter until the very end.
The Big Suspense was: Would Charles get off, but Peter get convicted?
I would not say this was a great thriller because the bad guy was obvious from the start, so the viewer knows he’s going to lose in the end. But it was suspenseful anyway and followed the expected thriller conventions.
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What I learned while doing this assignment:
Old jokes and overused clichés can still make me laugh! I guess I like old recipes. Appreciation depends on the presentation.
I chose the movie Stakeout (1987) starring Richard Dreyfuss, a Mystery & Thriller Comedy, or a Romance & Thriller movie… I had excellent memories of that film I saw in the 90s. The basic premise, formulated by Roger Ebert (August 05, 1987) who gave only three stars to the film was: “Two cops stake out a good-looking woman whose ex-boyfriend is a dangerous escaped convict. During the long, weary hours while they’re watching her, one of the cops falls in love. He finds a way to move into her life, leaving his partner stuck across the street with the binoculars.”
I’ve chosen that movie because I like the mix of suspense and comedy. Dreyfuss is the unwitting but resourceful hero and the funny man -true star- of the movie. His performance is top playing Chris, the experienced, wise-cracking detective who’s seen it all. Emilio Estevez plays Bill, the more naïve detective who is eager to prove himself.
As a true professional, Dreyfus will use all his skills and knowledge -and all his charms- to help protect Maria, the witness played by the beautiful Madeleine Stowe, and prevent her from being harmed -maybe kidnapped? killed? – by this Montgomery, the fugitive and dangerous criminal played by Aidan Quinn.
This dangerous villain is a ruthless criminal we meet in the first scenes while he’s escaping from prison. We learn he wants to find the girl who has visited him in jail more than once. He will do whatever it takes to find Maria. She has cash hidden somewhere in her apartment… and she doesn’t know!
The high stakes in the movie involve a witness protection program of the FBI and a hunt for that dangerous criminal.
His presence in the story causes many life and death situations throughout the movie. He is armed; the detectives are armed, there are car chases ending in multiple police cars accidents, one chase causing the death of the villain’s only companion, gunfights in the open air…
The rhythm of the movie only slows down to permit some rare but very romantic moments between the detective and the witness.
Boring moments in the life of cops are occasions to inflict some practical jokes on the two other cops working day shifts.
During break-ins in the witness’s apartment, be it for installing microphones or just searching for clues, all are sources of suspense. What if she comes back while he’s inside? What if the villain breaks in while they are in bed? Or while I’m under the bed?
Big Mystery: The secret, question, or puzzle that the hero must solve.
Will the FBI catch this dangerous man?
How will this funny man of detective be able to fight the escaped killer and protect the lady?
Is he falling in love with her?
Big Intrigue: The covert, underhanded, or clandestine force or plan of the Villain.
The villain wants the money that’s hidden in his ex-girlfriend apartment and might want to take her with him. He could show up any moment. What will the stakeout reveal?
Big Suspense: The main danger that the hero experiences.
Isn’t he strong enough -or serious- to fight a violent killer like the villain? Is he not falling in love with the “protected one”? That doesn’t help.
What is the most dangerous situation in the movie for the hero?
The most dangerous situation in the movie -a life and death scene- occurs when the villain attempts to kidnap the girl-witness. Detective Chris Lecce must use all his communication skills and capacities to protect her and prevent her from being taken away. In the end, he can successfully save her and killing the villain.
What makes this movie a great thriller?
The movie features an exciting and suspenseful storyline with plenty of twists and turns. Plus, the actors are all very talented. Watching it again after all those years, I had a good time and I’ll watch it with my kids in the weeks to come. They’re going to like it, I’m sure!
JC. Lauzon feb16 2023
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Movie seen – Knock at the Cabin Door
The unwitting heroes are the two men and their daughter.
Dangerous villain – the four who come into the cabin unwanted.
High stakes – the world will be destroyed.
Life and death – one of the three must willingly die.
This movie is thrilling because you don’t know if what the people say is true or if this is a planned thing, or if the three will escape or if one of them will die.
Big mystery- Is what Leo says a hoax or real?
Big intrigue – who are these people really?
Big suspense- who will die
It was a contained movie, they were in an isolated area, so there was no one else to help them. The little girl was a great actress.
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Thriller Assignment 1: Kimbal Thompson
THRILLER CONVENTIONS
“What I learned doing this assignment is there can be many twists and turns leading to an apparent solution, prior to revealing another and the real mystery and villain.
Analyze a THRILLER movie to discover the conventions of a thriller. It is totally okay to analyze a movie you’ve already seen, but please watch it again. Don’t just do it from memory.
1. Go to Netflix, iTunes, or Amazon and search for “thriller” movies. Pick a thriller that fits three criteria and answer the two questions below:
The Pale Blue Eye matches our model and is not one of our example movies.
2. The conventions of THIS story.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero(s): Mr. Augustus Landor, Edgar Allan Poe.
Dangerous Villain(s): Mr. Augustus Landor, Edgar Allan Poe Members of the Marquis Family,
High stakes: :Ruin U.S. Military Academy
Life and death situations: LeRoy Fry (hangs) (heart Carved from chest), who hung, cut out heart and castrated 2nd Cadet and who butchered and cut hearts out of farm animals, Fire at Marquis Home, Death of Landor’s daughter.
This movie is thrilling because of the time and setting, sequencing of events,3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: Who killed Cadet Leroy Fry and harvested his heart, who killed Cadet. (heart Carved from chest), who hung, cut out heart and castrated 2nd Cadet and who butchered and cut hearts out of farm animals, what happened to Landor’s daughter.
Big Intrigue: Who killed Cadet Leroy Fry and harvested his heart, who killed Cadet. (heart Carved from chest), who hung, cut out heart and castrated 2nd Cadet and who butchered and cut hearts out of farm animals, what happened to Landor’s daughter, Once Edgar Allan Poe deduced what really had occurred, what would he do about it.
Big Suspense: All the above.4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? It works!
5. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is (see above).Subject line: (Movie title) Thriller Conventions (place in first line)
The most important thing you can do today is to CHOOSE a movie that fits our definitions and the conventions so you get a solid experience of this model. As you watch the movie, make notes about how it fits these conventions. Don’t look at anything else. All that matters is that you identify the conventions and make clear notes about them.
In the next lesson, we start working with the most important parts of your Thriller script.
Enjoy the movie…and what you learn from it!
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What I learned: I, too, can do this.
1. Girl on a Train
2. Conventions:
· Unwitting hero: Rachel
· Dangerous villain: Tom
· Life and death situations: Women being murdered, Rachel under investigation, will she be murdered too?
· This movie is thrilling because: of the gaslighting. Is Rachel going crazy? Is her ex-husband a serial killer?
3. What is the MIS:
· Big Mystery: Who killed Megan?
· Big Intrigue: Did Rachel do it?
· Big Suspense: Will Rachel clear her name and save other women?
4. I really enjoyed this movie. I love the gaslighting aspect to it. The doubt it creates in the characters’ minds.
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Donna Stockwell’s Thriller Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is every moment seems to be more confusing as the lead character tries to negotiate her journey, and she doesn’t seem to be able to find a way out of the rabbit hole.
Black Swan (Psychological Thriller)2. Watch the movie and as you do, note the conventions of THIS story.
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: – Nina
Dangerous Villain: – Lily
High stakes: – be the best ballerina
Life and death situations: Nina wants to be the lead in swan lake
This movie is thrilling because you never know what is real since everything is from Nina’s POV and “undone” when she comes out of her hallucinations and back to reality.3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: will Nina play the lead?
Big Intrigue: Leroy and Lily both seem to have it in for Nina, but could this be her own imagination and hallucinations?
Big Suspense: Will Leroy take away the lead from Nina – how will Nina adapt?4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller?
The sympathy that the audience feels for the dedication and perseverance of Nina to keep the lead role. -
Hunt for Red October : Thriller Conventions
Christopher Lynch
What I Learned from this Assignment:
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
Jack Ryan
Dangerous <div>Villain: Soviet
Military HierarchyHigh stakes: Can the US get the
secrets of the new Soviet sub that could be a first strike weapon.Life and death situations: Ramius
kills Putin (no, not the real life one. Both Putins are KGB agents however);
Cook tries to kill Ramius and RyanThis movie is thrilling
because? It takes the viewer on a journey to unwrap plot secrets with lots
of high stakes twists and turns.3. What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: What is the
intention of the Soviet submarine – provocation or defection?
Big Intrigue: On the sub – who is
with or against Ramius
Big Suspense: How can the US
get the sub but fool the Soviets into believing that the Soviet sub was
sunk?</div><div>4. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller? Two great lead actors, short well-defined scenes. The screenplay leaves many breadcrumbs for the viewer to follow but has an unexpected ending.
</div>
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Movie title: “The Departed”
Summary: An undercover cop and a mole in the police department attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
What I learned doing this assignment is:
The MIS are important mapping details for writing thriller movies.
Lead Characters
Leonardo DiCaprio (Billy Costigan)
– gang member posing as a cop
Matt Damon (Colin Sullivan) – policeman
posing as a gang member
Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello) – crime
boss
Martin Sheen (Captain Queenan) – police
captain
Mark Wahlberg (Staff Sgt. Sean
Dignam)
Vera Farmiga (Madolyn Madden) – a
psychologist who works for the police
Alec Baldwin (Captain Ellerby) – police
captainUnwitting but Resourceful Hero: Matt Damon (Colin Sullivan) fraudulent gang member
Dangerous Villain: Leonardo DiCaprio (Billy Costigan) fraudulent cop
High stakes: Working as fraudulent cop and gang member that can be exposed at any time.
Life and death situations: Death is imminent if either is betrayed.
This movie is thrilling because? If Billy’s employer, Capt. Queenan, gets killed, no one can testify that Billy isn’t really a cop? Both men succeed with their fraudulent identities; Colin rises in the force, and Billy rises in the mob.
What is the BIG Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense of this story?
Big Mystery: The goal is to kill Capt. Queenan and make it look like a gang member did it. The two main characters are hiding their true identity and trying to infiltrate each other’s organizations.
Big Intrigue: The goal is to kill Capt. Queenan and make it look like a gang member did it. Leonardo DiCaprio (Billy Costigan) (fraudulent cop) wants to get information when the police are going to attack or capture Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello) crime boss.
Big Suspense: If Billy Costigan (fraudulent cop) is exposed by police or Billy Costigan (fraudulent gang member) is exposed by the crime boss, they will be killed.
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Title: The Interpreter (2005)
Unwitting but Resourceful Hero:
Agent Keller (Sean Pean) is a secret service agent tasked with investigating an assassination plot to kill Zuwanie (president of Matobo) during his upcoming speech at the UN which was inadvertently overheard by Sylvia (an interpreter working at the UN).
Dangerous Villain:
Zuwanie and by extension his security team; Luds (head of security) and Gamba (hitman). Zuwanie wants to eliminate his political opponents and legitimize his regime by staging an assassination plot against himself.
High stakes:
Sylvia’s life, Zuwanie’s life, the lives of the secret service agents, the NYC public’s lives, the lives of Matoban people whose political affiliations don’t align with Zuwanie’s party.
Life and death situations:
Corpses in the stadium in the opening scene, Xola and Simon executed by child soldiers, Sylvia on her moped is almost run over by Gamba driving a black Mercedes, the man who stole a mask from Sylvia’s home is killed by Gamba, a bus bombing in NYC kills passengers along with a secret service agent and an exiled Matoban minister, Gamba’s apartment is wired with explosives to kill any investigators, Gamba breaks in to Sylvia’s apartment to execute her and has a shootout with Keller–Gamba is killed, the assassinator is double-crossed and killed by Luds, Sylvia puts a gun to Zuwanie’s head and threatens to shoot him.
This movie is thrilling because?
We are worried for Sylvia after she overhears the assassination plot and is now a target herself. And we want to know if the assassination plot will succeed and figure out who is behind the plot.
Big Mystery: Who wants to kill Zuwanie?
Big Intrigue: The assassination plot and the hitman after Sylvia. And Sylvia’s association to all of this with her past involvement in a Matoban guerrilla group.
Big Suspense: Will Zuwanie be assassinated, and is Sylvia somehow involved?
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Thriller Conventions – Bounre Idenity.
It was full of twists and unexpected turns.
Who he is.
How will he survive.
Who is chasing him.
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