CHARACTERS FOUND IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS

Georgia Buckingham

CONVICTS, CRIMINALS, STALKERS AND ASSASSINS

These are the feared characters in the film, always playing the antagonist. The audience never has little sympathy towards these characters. They give the edge and suspense to the film as the main protagonist is normally scared for their safety due to this character. They also create a thrill factor that excites the audience as they become unpredictable and the audience does not know what to expect next.‘JFK’

PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALSThese characters very much live inside their head, never interacting with other people as they have too many ‘voices’ inside their mind. They normally have very obsessive personalities always wanting to become someone else – this can sometimes lead to violence or extreme measure to achieve what they want. People don’t often accept them due to the way they act in result of their mental state; achieving the audiences sympathy.‘Black Swan’ Nine Sayers

PEOPLE IN TWISTED RELATIONSHIPS

Characters in twisted relationships are usually changed or altered by what the other person in the relationship does to them, they might physically make the other character want to change their appearance or mentally chip away at each other. In certain circumstances the other partner influences the other one to do a crime with them as they think it’s the right thing to do.

‘Fear’ Nicole Walker

CHARACTERS WITH A DARK PASTCharacters who have experienced a dark past are the most unpredictable of all of them. What they experienced normally effects what happens in the future, through the movie the enigma surrounding what happened to them is the key plot line. This builds suspense but also sympathy as the audience can imagine that its something bad that happened and therefore see why they have these actions and reactions to certain situations.

‘Silence of the Lambs’ Hannibal Lecter

INNOCENT VICTIMSThese characters normally create sympathy and vulnerability for the audience to the feel. They can often relate to this character from a personal point of view or with a family member. As most psychological thrillers have that tragic aspect these victims normally are the ones getting hurt or even worse something fatal. They wear very innocent bright colours to appeal to the audience so they almost feel a connection to the character as this makes it most effective.

‘See no evil, Hear no evil’ Wallace ‘Wally’ Karue