Thursday, January 22, 2026

Portfolio Project Genre #1

 

GENRE 1: THRILLER

For my Cambridge portfolio project, one of the main genres I am considering is thriller. I chose thriller because it is very good at keeping the audience engaged by using things like suspense, tension, and high stakes. Thriller films make the audience feel anxious and curious at the same time, which makes them want to keep watching to find out what happens next.

Thrillers are usually targeted toward older teenagers and adults because they often include violence, danger, and intense situations. One major characteristic of thrillers is dark or low-key lighting, which helps create a serious and suspenseful mood. Music choice also plays a big role in thrillers, especially suspenseful music, sudden silence, or sharp sound effects that build tension. Camera techniques like close-ups, handheld shots, and fast editing are often used to make scenes feel more intense and uncomfortable.

(Se7en, 1995)

(Se7en - 1995)

The content of thriller films usually involves high-stakes situations such as crime, being hunted, or trying to survive. Many thrillers also include mystery elements, where the audience is slowly given information instead of everything being revealed at once. This helps keep the suspense going throughout the film and keeps the audience hooked.

The content of thriller films usually involves high-stakes situations such as crime, being hunted, or trying to survive. Many thrillers also include mystery elements, where the audience is slowly given information instead of everything being revealed at once. This helps keep the suspense going throughout the film and keeps the audience hooked.

What makes a thriller good is strong pacing and effective tension. If too much information is revealed too early, the suspense is ruined. The acting also needs to be believable so the audience can feel the fear and urgency of the characters.

(Scream - 1996)
Scream is a strong example of the thriller genre because it uses suspense, mystery, and danger to keep the audience guessing about who the killer is. The film also plays with audience expectations, which adds to the tension. Some characteristics of thrillers include dark and mysterious posters, minimal color, and trailers that focus on mood rather than explaining the full story. Scream’s marketing follows this by using the iconic mask and keeping the killer’s identity secret to keep your hooked.




Fangoria. (n.d.). Still from Scream featured on Fangoria [Image]. Fangoria. https://www.fangoria.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Scream_03-1c6647feac364a8e89598b9fbb7897c8.jpg.webp

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