I want to go for Psychological Thriller; with respect to the mystery aspect of it. Watching Movies/TV shows that implement this specific genre tends to be more vital from the watcher's perspective of what will happen to the protagonist or the people he cares about, creating an atmosphere of tension and anxiety. This single-handedly grabs the attention of the viewers, propelling them towards the "what will happen next" factor, making them emotionally attached to the storyline. In Addition, Psychological thriller movies tend to end the story on "short notice", as a question/cliffhanger, manipulating the audience to further look for the sequels to find the answer or just get hyped if there is any sequel coming, to answer the unanswered.
Knowing that other factors also come into place like storyline, character development, and close-to-reality visual effects, I believe that it is easy to produce such motion pictures as writers don't go "detail hunting" in the storyline, as almost all that remains should be mystery to make this genre come to life. But one hefty thing that comes with this is meeting the aspirations of the viewer. This means that everything, visuals, storytelling, casting, costume designing, etc, should be to the point and appealing to the audience. Nothing should be overdone and as little as music should be on point, to create the atmosphere this genre tries to produce for the audience.
Inspiration
Movies that inspired me to choose this genre and how include:
1. Dexter (Series)
This is a series rather than a single movie; revolving around a man, who is basically a serial killer but also works as one of the Miami Police Department as a blood spatter analyst. The complexity of the character induces a sense of no predictability in the audience; now and then he is portrayed as this 'Vigilante' who is killing the accused and the sinful; on the other hand, he is often shown as succumbing to his hellish carnage thoughts. How the 2 sides of the protagonist are portrayed is just pure genius; using things like cliffhangers, unpredictability, and character development gives a deeper meaning to the whole character of Dexter, creating the need to watch more. Overall this mind-bobbling piece of media piqued my interest in psychological thrillers.
2. The Inception
One of the classics, Inception revolves around heists, stealing and manipulation but with a twist; you can direct your subconsciousness to the victim, tearing their mind layer by layer to uncover secrets. I really liked the potrayal of the main character in this movie; the story again always puts the audience on edge and creates suspense beyond comparison. The choreography of all the actors is on point, which also tells how the casting can have an impact, on how the audience percieves the main idea of the film.
3. Brothers
Love, friendship, betrayal and sacrifice; this movie combines all these emotion-controlling factors in this movie and gives the viewer the chance to truly understand the meaning of the story, from our own perspective. Tricky tactics like adding the despair and anger factor into the life of our protagonist, who has just come from war, construct a bridge between him and us; targeting the hardships of men. Furthermore, the situation of the children also conveys the message of "mental healthcare" to parents; in a meaningful and engaging way.
4. Insidious
Not necessarily a "Psychological Thriller" movie example but Insidious inspired me a lot to delve deep into the horror-themed thriller films. After the protagonist's child goes into a coma, doctors give up, until strange things start to occur in their house forcing the parents to take help from a demonologist, not knowing a chain cycle would start, forcing the protagonist to dig deep into his past, to uncover another dark truth. The thing that got me hooked on this movie was just the storyline. How the core or perspective of the whole story was conveyed, was just perfect, everything made sense in the end. It was a worth watching film for someone who wants the story, to convey the dark side of the protagonist.
5. Shutter Island
A masterpiece that needs no introduction; Shutter Island is by far the most captivating movie I have seen in this genre. Without debate, I haven't seen a single movie compete with this gem. It starts like any other film, showing us the protagonist and the whole antagonist's motives and development, but at the end is where the fun begins, where it is revealed how the protagonist is the antagonist. Not going to give props to only a specific position but to the whole team, from the producer to the music artists, to the actors, all of them played a crucial role, in grabbing the audience's attention from the beginning of the film, which modern films tend to lack. This movie gives us a clear idea of how proper development and thinking processes can lead to the project becoming raw and engaging.
6. Drive
The Drive is another example of a good psychological thriller film. This story revolves around the protagonist a Hollywood stuntman who falls in love with his neighbor; who has a child too. The real drama comes when he gets his feet deep in the ground by becoming part of a heist. The plot twist comes when he finds out that one of the members of the heist is the husband of his neighbor. Now he must find a way to save them from their inevitable fate. This movie like all the rest uses the emotional connection between the protagonist and the audience. The ambiance of the scenes, the composition, and the music of this movie fill the vibe of the story. Overall, it is an attention-grabbing, adrenaline-pumping piece of art.
6. American Psycho
Another favorite one of mine, American Psycho is a great sample from which we can observe many ways to understand how psychological thrillers work. This gives us, as the audience to easily understand the deeper meaning behind this genre; scenes in this movie often cut around unexpected parts and during unexpected actions, for instance, someone might be getting killed but as the camera cuts, it is shown that the action was never actually occurring. Another great thing about this movie is that due to its slow-paced camera motions, we can easily decipher many of the movements like pan, tilt, or dolly shots. Moreover, I emphasize more on the story of the protagonist, due to the underwhelming portrayal of men in this movie, many of the audience, especially men, could relate to the psychological battles the protagonist was going through. This movie is a must-watch for mystery lovers.
Narrative Perspective
Psychological thrillers thrive on immersing audiences in the fractured minds of their protagonists, often using non linear narratives to mirror their instability. Films/series like Dexter and American Psycho masterfully depict the descent into madness, where the audience is forced to question reality alongside the character. For instance, a deranged killer descending into madness can be described in a sequence of fragmented events having just committed a murder, he starts to smoke a cigar until the murder he has commited just vanishes into thin air (American Psycho). This type of unreliable narrative puts the audience in the deteriorating mind of the protagonist, leaving them to wonder what is real and what is fantasy. Moral and justice themes are frequently built into such narratives. Dexter has a protagonist who lives according to a strict moral code, only killing the guilty. American Psycho, however, introduces a character whose reality is utterly subjective, which leaves the viewers to decide for themselves whether or not his killings are real, or merely imagined as a function of his own psychosis. Whether stated or implied, these concerns inform the understanding of the main character by the audience, setting the boundaries for hero and the hidden alter ego into question.
Non-linearity as narrative technique is perhaps best utilized with psychological thrillers. Audience engagement is stronger when a story throws viewers straight into the chaos instead of slowly building up. As opposed to welcoming viewers gradually with the plot, placing them amidst confusion immediately commits them to engagement actively. Structure itself becomes one of the narration tools, letting the audience internalize the subjects paranoia and confusion. By making important events out of sequence, suspense is increased, and the ultimate reveal; like a characters own subconsciousness rebelling against them; strikes all the harder. Psychological thrillers tend to leave audiences with sudden, eerie cliffhangers that leave them unsettled long after the credits have rolled. It is this unpredictability that makes psychological thrillers so potent, playing with perception, warping reality, and leaving the audience never quite in control.
● Disclaimer
All the posters and trailers for the movies/series used as reference in this post, belong to their rightful owners.
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