Brief History of Thriller

Films1920s to Modern Day

What Does “Thriller” Mean?

Thriller is a genre used in literature, film and TV. It normally uses suspense and tension to uses the audiences moods and feelings to convey

uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror.

1920s/30s• Alfred Hitchcock started to make thriller moves such

as “The Lodger” in 1926, which was a silent film. And later on his first sound film, “Blackmail”, in 1929.

• In 1929 the first “Spy” movie was released by Fritz Lang called “Spies”.

• Many other thrillers were then released of the genre and it started to become popular.

1940s• There were many Hitchcock thrillers released such as

“Suspicion” in 1941, and “Shadow of a Doubt” in 1943.• George Cukor did a psychological thriller in 1944 called

“Gaslight” and many others which also bought about the popularity of the genre.

• There were many other thrillers made by other directors, they genre was getting more popular as time went on.

1950s• Hitchcock is still making thrillers and starting to use

Technicolor too, producing films such as “Dial M for Murder” in 1954.

• Other directors were also producing films such like Charles Laughton who directed “The Night of the Hunter” in 1955.

• Another example would be Orson Welles’ thriller “Touch of Evil” in 1958.

• There were many films produced which all had a range of sub-genres e.g. Crime

1960s• There were many directors in this time period who

produced thriller films, Hitchcock only being one of many. There was the likes of Terrence Young, Michael Powell and Stanley Donens.

• There also was a large number of spy thrillers which came out, such as the Harry Palmer movies which later inspired the James Bond movies.

1970s/80s• In the 1970s there was a huge amount of thrillers released.• Hitchcock’s film “Frenzy” was rated R in 1972.• There was the first film which was based around a person’s

obsession with a celebrity, “Play Misty for Me” by Clint Eastwood in 1971.

• Many other Films such as “Sisters” by Brian De Palmas and “Don’t Look Now” by Nicolas Roegs both came out in 1973, any many others came out later on.

• The wave of thrillers continued in to the 1980s with “Blow Out”, “Body Double” and “Dressed to Kill” being examples.

1990s• Rob Reiner released the films “Misery”• The famous thriller “Sleeping with the Lambs” was

released in 1991 by Jonathan Demme.• “Se7en” was released by David Fincher in 1995.

2000s and Present day• There have been a range of thrillers which have been

released in the 2000s such as “Hostage” in 2005, “P2” in 2007 and “Funny Games” in 2008.

• In the last few years the films, “Inception”, “Shutter Island” and “Black Swan” in 2010, “Limitless” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” in 2011, “The Cabin in the Woods”, “Sinister” and “The Impossible” in 2012, “The Purge”, “Gravity” and “The Call” in 2013.