It’s hard to find someone who wouldn’t like movies. Most likely, every spectator watched psychological thrillers. This genre of cinema is good and interesting in that it does not have strictly defined boundaries and is often difficult to separate from a detective or a horror movie.
What is a thriller?
He came to the cinema from literature, and his task is to cause the viewer a sense of fear, excitement, anxious expectation and tension. The name itself speaks about this - the word "thriller" is translated from English as "awe."
What is the basis for the popularity of action films?
The main purpose of the thriller is to cause a certain reaction in the viewer. It can be fear, excitement or shock - those emotions that are most vivid for a person, and in life he rarely experiences them. Horrors, mysticism, action films, action and science fiction films make it possible to survive them with the hero. Therefore, they are most interesting to the viewer.
Types of thrillers
It is often difficult to determine in which category the film should be assigned. Thriller is a vivid example of how a talented director can mix several genres in one picture. To some extent, all the thrillers play with the psyche, emotions and subconscious of the viewer, so they can be called psychological films in another way. They are different:
1. Psychological thriller detective . The plot is usually tied to the investigation of some serious crime, during which the hero either encounters inexplicable events, or enters into a duel imposed on him by the criminal.
2. Psychological thriller, "horrors." If in the previous genre the duel between the hero and the criminal was filed in a milder form, then here the filmmakers do not stand on ceremony with the viewer, and the plot can abound in bloody details.
3. Psychological thriller mysticism. This view is very similar to the previous one. The difference is that horror may not be a supernatural component.
4. Political thriller. He very closely echoes the detective story, because often the plot is twisted on an investigation of a crime into which the protagonist is drawn into.
Other types of thrillers include espionage, historical, adventure, romantic, sci-fi and dramas. Also, psychological thrillers with an unexpected denouement can be distinguished into a separate category, since their number has already reached a considerable figure. Such diversity makes this cinema genre very interesting for the viewer, and therefore it has many fans.
List of psychological thriller films: the best in the genre
Action films are interesting in their own right. They usually have an intriguing plot and dynamic development. But psychological thrillers with an unexpected ending is the pinnacle of the genre. The audience has long been sophisticated and knows almost all the tricks of directors and screenwriters. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to create a picture whose denouement of history will truly surprise and possibly even shock. But there are such masters, and every year a new rating of psychological thrillers is created, which could surprise the viewer. By the way, the first samples of this popular genre appeared in the 30s of the last century, and for such a long period many great films were created. The following pictures must certainly enter the top psychological thrillers of the 20th century:
1. "Island of the Damned." Martin Scorsese, the legendary director, created a deeply psychological film, the main role of which was played by Leonardo di Caprio. The unexpected denouement of history not only immensely surprises, but also gives scope to the imagination of the viewer.
2. Psychological thrillers with an unexpected denouement can not do without the classics of the genre - “Fight Club” by David Fincher , based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. In it, a hero suffering from insomnia awaits a shocking discovery, which leads to an unpredictable end. The film became a cult and caused a huge public outcry. Critics' estimates were mixed, and as a result, at the box office in North America, the tape failed, collecting only half of the amount invested in its creation. Now “Fight Club” is one of the ten best films of the XX century.
3. "Seven" is another great work by David Fincher. This action-packed detective talks about the search for a maniac who imagines himself to be God and punishes the death of those who violated one of the ten commandments. The film is distinguished by a dynamic plot and the careful work of its creators, who were able to show in it the oppressive atmosphere of a dirty, dangerous and depressing city. Influential critics were impressed by the work of Fincher, and the film received the highest ratings. The audience accepted the picture with enthusiasm. With a budget of $ 33 million, she collected an impressive amount at the box office - 327 million. The producers of the film tried to change the ending, to make it more merciful, but Brad Pitt, who played the main role in the thriller, insisted on the directorial version, considering it the most realistic one.
4. "Others . " The film tells about Grace Stewart, living with children on a large estate. The boy and girl are severely allergic to sunlight, and therefore all doors and curtains are always closed in the house. Once all the servants disappear from the estate, and others come instead. From this moment on, strange things begin to happen in the house that make Grace think of ghosts that frighten her and the children.
5. The film “Game” by David Fincher is one of the best representatives of the psychological thriller genre. A successful businessman receives an unusual gift for his birthday - a ticket to a certain “Game”. To his misfortune, he decides to take part in it.
Changing Reality
Art has a huge impact on man. Sometimes a book or a movie watched can, if not radically change a person, at least make him think. There are 10 psychological thrillers with an unexpected ending, after watching which you will urgently want to reconsider your attitude to loved ones, your environment and the world as a whole.
1. "Disappeared" - a picture of 2014, based on the novel of the same name by young writer Gillian Flynn. Director David Fincher, known for many excellent works, and here showed his high skill. The film tells about what modern marriage around the world can lead to, and how little we actually know about people close to us. Psychological thrillers with an unexpected outcome replenished with another excellent picture. However, the finale of the tape partially remained open, which gives great scope for the imagination of the viewer. Reviews about the "Vanished" in foreign and domestic rental are overwhelmingly positive.
2. "Source Code" - a hellish mixture of science fiction, action, detective and romance. A wonderful, breathtaking film that aims to show the significance of every moment of human life.
3. "Illusionist" - a film about great love and the story of a brilliant illusionist draws attention to the screen from the first minutes. The finale, as in excellent focus, will make you freeze in amazement.
4. "The Illusion of Deception" - another amazing film about the illusionists, worthy to enter the top psychological thrillers. He says that in the world there is a place for real friendship and it is still worth believing in people.
5. "Case # 39." The film tells the story of social worker Emily Jenkins, who leads the 39th case in her practice - about an attempted murder by foster parents of little Lilith. A woman is attached to a child. Later, she begins to notice oddities about her little ward. “Case # 39” is a film with a very unusual plot and unexpected end, which will adorn the rating of psychological thrillers.
6. “Secret window” . Johnny Depp brilliantly played a writer chased by a psychopath, confident that his story had been stolen from him. The denouement of the story is simply unpredictable. Thriller filmed on the novel by Stephen King's “Secret Window, Secret Garden”.
7. "Before I fall asleep . " The story is about a woman who, as a result of an injury, does not remember anything that happened after this tragedy. Every day she wakes up, not recognizing around anyone and nothing. On the advice of her psychiatrist, she begins to record all the events on camera and gradually approaches an unexpected clue to the causes of her amnesia.
8. Psychological thrillers with an unexpected end in 2004 replenished with another great picture - “Taking Life” with Angelina Jolie in the title role. The film will surprise the viewer twice with its sharp turn.
9. “Pit” - the unexpected end of this film will not leave the audience indifferent. The picture addresses the issues of friendship between adolescents, love and honesty. How far can a desire to please be made? In this thriller, it came to the death of several students. This is a classic psychological film, the purpose of which is to morally finish off the viewer, showing him the whole truth about the cruelty and heartlessness of adolescents.
10. "Ghost" - a rare recent political thriller. The plot focuses on the story of a writer who was hired to write an autobiography of a famous politician. As it turns out, the previous author committed suicide under suspicious circumstances. Clarification of the causes of the tragedy leads the hero to an unexpected solution.
Best Thriller Director
The founder of the genre is Alfred Hitchcock, who could masterfully create in his films an atmosphere of fear and anxious expectation. “Psycho”, “Window to the Courtyard”, “Birds”, “Dizziness” - an incomplete list of paintings by the great director who have become classics.
Of the psychological thrillers included in the ratings of the best films of the XX century, four were filmed by David Fincher. By the way, at first it was he who was considered to be the director of the Island of the Damned. By the number of films that received the highest ratings from viewers and critics, David Fincher can be called one of the best contemporary filmmakers of the psychological thriller films.
Thriller Actors
If you make a rating of the actors who played in this popular genre, the most famous and popular personalities will be included in this list. Thriller, despite the prevailing opinion of him as a purely entertaining kind of cinema, often raises acute social issues, as, for example, in Fincher’s films. A good thriller is success in an actor’s career.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp, Michael Douglas - they all took part in the filming of thrillers.
The best thriller of all time
Ratings are a relative thing. The addiction of the audience is changing quite quickly. Today they like one movie, and tomorrow they will be delighted with another. If you take the lists of the best psychological thrillers with unpredictable denouement, compiled at different times, we can distinguish several paintings that are leading from year to year. These are “Dizziness”, “Seven”, “Fight Club” and “Island of the Damned”.
All the best in the genre for 2014
The most psychological thriller detective of this year is Air Marshal. The magnificent actors Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore composed a duet in which not one of them tried to draw the attention of the viewer to themselves. At the same time, the film was not just dynamic. Classical psychological thrillers with an unexpected denouement are often created in such a way that all attention is focused on the character, which the audience finally begins to suspect. This technique was brilliantly implemented in Air Marshal.
The first place with this picture is worthy to be divided by the “Disappeared” tape, which raises serious questions about the problem of marriage in modern society. Despite its social orientation, the film is a very high-quality psychological thriller that keeps the viewer in suspense for a good part of the time.
"The Abode of the Damned" - according to the plot of the film, a young doctor comes to a psychiatric hospital who wants to practice with a famous psychiatrist, director of the institution. His attention is attracted by a beautiful patient, very different from other patients. Interestingly, Ben Kingsley, director of the hospital, played a very similar role in Martin Scorsese's Island of the Damned.
The best psychological psychological thriller films of 2015. Will the expectations be met?
This year, viewers will find many new action films. Some of them are included in the ranking of the most anticipated new products at the beginning of the year. This is “The Woman in Black - 3. The Angel of Death”, “Hostage 3” with Liam Neeson in the title role, “The Maze Runner 2: Tests by Fire”, “Lost Paradise” with Benicio Del Toro, the film “Return” with Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke, The Coup with Pierce Brosnan. As you can see, 2015 promises many new thrillers. We will know soon whether they will meet the expectations of the audience.