The Thriller Genre

 

Definition of a Thriller:

A novel, play, or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage.

 

The Thriller Genre has been used in various aspects of media, since the start of the 20th century. The film 'Safety Last' is considered by many, the first true 'Thriller Film', however it did include aspects of comedy, as this was Harold Lloyd's speciality. The films includes many aspects of tension and suspense, particularly with the famous clock scene, in which Lloyds character climbs a building in order to evade a policeman, gripping on to a broken clock for support.

 

 

One big contributor to the 'Thriller' genre was Alfred Hitchcock. His first thriller was his third silent film The Lodger (1926), a suspenseful Jack the Ripper story. His next thriller was Blackmail (1929), his and Britain's first sound film. After 1935, the majority of Hitchcock's films were thrillers. Some of his more famous films include Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest and The Man Who Knew Too Much. For more information on Hitchcock, see my research on 'Directors'.