Genre Research- Storyline

What is a psychological thriller?

Psychological thriller is one of the many numerous sub genres of thriller. Some of the main themes include reality, mind, perception, death and existence. In this genre, the main character is usually battling himself mentally which leads to the idea of an "inner demon" and personality disorders. This creates severe interest for the audience and even tempt them to view it multiple times to discover any secrets due to the complex story lines that psychological thriller provide.


Another key aspect in psychological thrillers story lines are flashbacks and/or visions. Flashbacks are used in this genre to emphasises an event that has happened, usually a death of someone close to the main character. This creates a sense of mystery and the flashback is usually extended as the character gets closer to solving the mystery. This entices the audience and encourages them to keep up with the character's progress. Visions are mainly used to emphasise a character's unstable state, often showing repeated images until the climax is reached.


A great example of flashbacks is in Memento (2000) which tells the story of man who is suffering from amnesia and the last he remembers is the murder of his wife. Throughout the story, he attempts to find the murderer and as the story progresses, more of the past is revealed.

In the clip, the main character is seen holding a book and then a flashback is shown with his murdered wife holding the same book. This puts the audiences on the edge and maximises their curiosity.