In your opinion what is the key to an edge of your seat suspense thriller?

Question

And what makes you go back and see it again and again?

This is the real Jerry Bruckheimer on Yahoo! Answers

Answer 1

Hmm… so you have already decided the title, cast, the plot and even the release date of that film.
So, perhaps the reason you asked the question in the first place is either because you want to see if that film will be to our liking OR because you are planning on another film.
If it is the latter (I hope it is) then the following might be helpful:
1. The title should be something catchy and the film poster, attractive, the trailer should be superb and tempting.
2. All-back-to-normal and satisfactory ending. There should be at least two survivors.
3. Main character(s) should not die or, at least, should live.
4.There should be wonderful, lovable and satisfactory twist(s).
5.Excellent but less known actors. All actors should be really good at acting.Special recommendation – James Marsters.
6.If a mystery movie, then less number of characters and limited area might make it more thrilling.
7.Complex themes or plots that are understandable to only professionals, can be unsuccessful.
8.Words that mean something when read one way and quite another thing the other way, might help. Eg- WOW and MOM
9.Cool or eccentric or smart detectives as characters in a mystery
10.Complex, eccentric, smart, in-depth characters.
11. The plot should be fast and should NEVER drag on and on.
12.Smart, witty, appropriate dialogues.
13.Quite modern situations. Don’t think of ancient plots.
14.Sparks of romance between some characters.
15.Characters who remain cool about everything that happens are either the actual villains or people with real good insight. This can be used for deception.
16.The time of day can be an effective thriller. Like 12:00 midnight or the use of the number 666.
17.It would be a good idea not to reveal the villain till the end, so that audience might think “I never thought of that”.
18.If the villain continues playing indestructible, it will be boring (or perhaps even scary)
19.Death of ‘some’ (minor) characters. Too many deaths make it lame. If there are no survivors or just one main survivor, it would be lonely…
20.Following the wrong clues or trails for some time before the mistake is realised.
21.Create a situation of dramatic irony where the audience yells at the character to do something or not to do something, while the character is unaware of the consequences. Or when the villain is known by the audience but not the hero.
22.Bad guy turning good or vice versa.
23.Something to have the attention of the audience and keep them spell-bound, so that they really jump off the seats when something scary happens. Like evil, cold, high pitched laugh in the middle when the audience is so absorbed…
24.Electricity failure or, best, malfunctioning (esp. light).
25.Uncertainty in the matters of trust, right decision, no-other-choice-but-this, etc.
26.Effective use of lightning, moonlight, footsteps, a sudden movement or sound, shadows, background music etc to intensify the crisis. Eg – revealing a scary face at the flash of lightning and/or rumble of thunder; hearing footsteps come near when a character is most scared, etc.
27.Things that do not connect till the middle of the movie, effective tying of loose ends, etc.
28.As much believable reality as possible. Like the police actually turning up.
29.Do not focus only on one character, even if it is the main one.
30.Having the audience think at first someone is a villain, then all the evidence points out that he isn’t (the audience believes it, too) and then finally it turns out that it truly is him. This can be an effective deception.
31.So many clues… uncertain where to start… time is short… dangers rise…

In addition, you can refer:
1)Harry Potter (Books NOT movies)
2)House of wax (film)
3)Mummy & Mummy returns (films)
4)Evil Dead I and II (films)
5)Agatha Christie books & films
6)Mind hunters (film)
7)Saw I, II and III (films)
8)Anaconda I (film)
9)And there were none AKA Ten little Indians ( book and film)
10) Psycho I, II, III and IV (films)

People really are at the edge of the seat when their favourite actor or character is in mortal peril or is about to be attacked from behind, when evil stalks someone, etc…

What makes us really see a movie again and again:
1)Excellent acting of the actors.
2)Lovable characters.
3)Appropriate witty and cunning actions or dialogues or laughs or even expressions of villains.
4)The stunning discoveries. The end. The final fight. Etc

In horror films the following greatly matter:
1)Supernatural scary beings or situations.
2)Death – The number of deaths AND the types of death
3)Marvellous portrayal of villains and Super-villains.
4)Characters matter far more than actors.
Hope I have been helpful.

Answer 2

Hi Jerry,

My opinion to what is the key to an of your seat suspense thriller is when you don’t know whodunit until the end of the show, especially if there’s a twist at the end which no one expected. Also the music, when there is a build up to when you think something jumpy is going to happen, and then it doesn’t. And what makes me go back and see it again and again? Well I would have to say a number of things for example the right casts is the main reason why I would go and see the movie again, and also if it was made believable with the possibility that it could happen in real life, also not overdoing the movie with special effects. Most movies these days have been ruined by to many unrealistic stunts and special effects. As long as you keep the film real and with the right casts then that would defiantly make me go back and see the movie again and again. I hope I have helped to answer your question.

Good luck and take care.

Answer 3

Key to an edge of your seat suspense thriller, eh? Boy.... That's a good question!

Well, first of all I think that the characters in the film should suit the role they are playing. Cast comes first!

Secondly, the music relevant to each scene in the movie. It has to be scary and should sound like as if something is going to happen any moment or right about now! But, actually doesn't.... All in good time though!

Last, but not least! You would want to compare the movie to those of Seven, Psycho, The Shining and The Hitcher! If you have a look at these movies, they have great cast! Great storyline! And yes, you do want to watch these movies again!

Seven was a real mind teaser, not very predictable (At the end, who would've expected the lunatic to ask a delivery man to deliver Gwen's baby in a box? Although Morgan Freeman was the one to open the box, but from his reactions it wasn't so obvious was it?) You see now......... Cast does make an impact on a movie!

Psycho was just brilliant!

The Shining...... Holy cows! Jack Nicholson at his best! The halucinations the little boy actually saw in the hotel of the flood of blood and the twin sisters who were killed somewhere around! I mean..... That movie makes me go YIKES!

The Hitcher....... Oh c'mon! Isn't that just brilliant!

Now, Jerry........ You might have been wondering why I did not mention The Exorcist! Well, not everybody will enjoy that movie! Yes it's a great movie! But, if I did not enjoy so much..... Many people wouldn't either! For me, it's very easy to tell what a good movie is and according to my recommendation of a movie I can guarantee a 100% satisfaction that it will be enjoyed!

The movie shouldn't be predictable at all and should include some jumpy scenes frequently, but not rapidly! It should tease and play with your mind and that's the film everybody will automatically get into! And that particular movie should be compared to the movies I have mentioned above. And let's not forget the title of the movie! The title of the movie should actually be relevant to the movie and hey....... If you got a good movie! You have also got a good title! Like....... Seven!

Hope you all agree to my opinion! Thanks a bunch fella's!

Answer 4

1. Dont use flashbacks or versions, they are rubbish.
2. Show the action through the eyes of the Killer. It makes you feel as if you are in the movie.
3. If the above is not feasible then, make sure you never really get to see the Hunter, killer etc, just faint glimpses in mirrors, or shadows etc.
4. Use real characters. By this i mean dont use massive blockbuster names. It is more believable in a film where you are not as familiar with the characters. It is difficult to imagine a hollywood actor or actress in a thrilling role when we have seen them as mermaids, robots, prison guards etc etc. Take "28 Days Later". This is a true classic and the charcters are not quite as familiar to the audience. This gives it a more realistic, gritty feel.
5. I always find a little bit of comedy is a chance for the audience to breath and relax and then POW back into the action. It is like a rollercoaster. You dont have 4G all the way round. They give you chances to think "PHEW everthing is going to be ok after all" or " Thank goodness that is over".
6. If i have to guess what is going to happen next then that is a good thriller. We have all seen the planet under attack, or under threat. We have all experienced Aliens wiping out humans on some remote planet. And you could bet a few dollars that everything will work out in the end. I know audiences love a happy ending, but sometimes a ending that just makes you think is far superior.

Black Hawk Down was fantastic because it was a true story and gave the audience a taste of what we go through on a daily basis.

Theoretically the SAW trilogy is a horror, but it is a very cleverly choreographed and thought out story line. The first one is the best as you never quiet realise what is going to surface.

Please Jerry, always keep us guessing.
Oh and if you have any vacancies then give me a shout...lol

Answer 5

The key to "an-edge-of-your-seat" suspense thriller is taking notes from the master himself Alfred Hitchcock and the movies that he's done that made them worth watching. When he did the movie 'Psycho' the main focus was keeping the audience not knowing what to expect. No other filmmaker has been successful as him in doing this because the bar of expectations is set to his movies now being the standard.

You have to constantly keep the audience guessing of what comes next BEFORE the music cue. This is very important. If someone is at the edge of the seat when hearing the cue, then you are doing your job as a filmmaker well.

A lot of people will think it's difficult but it's not. Every good movie has a formula. Making a thriller is like making a horror movie. But the only difference is the audience shouldn't know who's the monster that the hero will eventually vanquish.

Near the end of the movie the villain is revealed and has the audience guessing throughout the film it was this character. It should always be the one you least suspect as the killer. Within the last fifteen minutes of any suspense thriller should be at the climax or else it ends up looking like a mystery movie than a thriller.

I hope that this is the answer you are looking for.

Answer 6

I think one of the basics of a good suspense film is not to tell the press too much about it from the start. I believe the media has spoilt a lot of people's enjoyment over the years by giving away major plot twists etc, even on tv these days you know for weeks what is going to happen and instead of making you watch, you just don't bother as you already know what the 'water-cooler' moment is going to be.

When I saw 'The Sixth Sense' all I knew about it was that it starred Bruce Willis as a guy helping a child who was experiencing disturbing problems. I saw it at a halloween preview and then spent the next week being very careful not to say too much to anyone else, and just recommended it as a good film as i didn't want to spoil it for them. I think that when you see a good film like that it gives the audience a sense of responsibility not to ruin the end for anybody and therefore the box office takings will be higher by reputation alone.

The script should veer the viewer off into another direction to distract them from what is actually going on and I find another good method is to have the 'events' happen during a comedic scene, so that the audience has become more relaxed and is not expecting the drama to happen at that time.

Its also important not to misjudge the audiences intellegence. People of all ages go to the cinema and I have personally found too many of the suspense 'thrillers' I have seen recently rely on a teenage perspective. The only recent exception to this I can think of is 'The Prestige'. That was a really enjoyable couple of hours (like so many thrillers though the female roles were badly underwritten. It would be nice to see a female doing more than being a wife/girlfriend or being used by one male participant to get to know what the other male is thinking. It would be nice to see that a female can be equally if not more willing to use their intellegence to outfox the men)( Kathleen Turner in 'Body Heat' being a great example of that)

Thrillers should never have sequels, and if they must, they should take the story off on a tangent and give it a whole new arena to explore.

Lastly I think in a really great film, the end should really leave you with an impression that maybe you could have seen it coming and that you should go back and see it again to see if you can spot the clues that were left for you (if any, much more fun if there are none though, hey?) (although not a thriller, I loved the end of 'Lost in Translation' when you couldn't tell what Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johanssen. It infuriated me for months after as I had thought the woman who coughed behind me right at that moment was the reason I hadn't heard it, but of course when i bought the dvd, and put the subtitles on it just said 'He whispers')



Good luck for your future projects!

Answer 7

The Haunting with Clare Bloom, very scary but you never actually see anything. Not too much "make you jump even though you know its coming" moments like on Alien for instance, and a plausible story, one that COULD happen maybe even if it is a little far fetched. Also an unexpected twist would be good either somewhere in the film or right at the end. But without a complicated reason for it, let the viewer understand and not walk away feeling like they have just seen Einstein lecture on his theories. Have little bits that are not noticed at first until you watch the film again such as in The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis had the same clothes on throughout and there was always something red around when the ghosts were in the scene. A little bit of crying inducing moments and laughing ones to. Oh if the girls in it HAVE to be perfectly stunning please make them have real personalities with some flaws and hang ups. Better still make the leading lady at least an English size 14, you know, a real woman. If you use any of my suggestions can I come to the studio and watch some of the filming and will I get royalties too? Tee Hee.

Answer 8

Hello Mr. Bruckheimer! Well, in my opinion what keeps me on the edge of the seat is when the music compliments the scene, the actors have legitamacy and a good story line. The kind of story line where you think you know what's going on and at the last possible second, it turns into a whole other scenerio. A movie that keeps you thinking you know who the bad guy is, and then all of the sudden, it is really someone else. That's what keeps me coming back for more! Hope this was a clear explaination for you. Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!

Answer 9

a great script with an original idea. Seeing the same old stuff over and over again (namely the remakes) is just boring no matter who the actors are - The movie companies wonder why revenue is dropping from theatre tickets - it's becasue we've all seen the movies they are repackaging, recasting, and refilming and why would I pay $10 to see something I've already seen.
I really think great writing is the key. Too many movies rely on mediocre acting by "big name" recognizable actors. Some of the best movies I've seen are casted with unknowns.
A movie that is not predictable but still believable - definately not a textbook movie - you know what I mean - the rebel cop with a bad attitude, a controlling boss that just doesn't understand him, all that garbage. Give me something original and DO NOT film it in front of a green screen - real sets or actual locations can make even a "b" movie better than 90% of the crap in theatres today.

What makes me go back and watch it again- to see what I missed the first time because the ending came out of nowhere.

This is going to sound stupid but the movie "clue" (even though it is a comedy) is one of those movies - I have watched it dozens of times looking for the parts they explain at the end when they reveal the crime. Also, "Slevin," and "Six degrees of Separation" round out my top three.

Answer 10

Good actors, (lesser known actors can be just as good if not better than some of the big names) and no I am not an actress or an aspiring one. A well written story and a great setting/atmosphere.
That sets the tone, then other things include: music and or sound effects (think of the sound that the tornado made in twister) or in Jurassic park when the kids were in the car and the vibration from the T-Rex was making the glass of water ripple, just before it roars! Or even that sound from the girl ghost thing in the Grudge. It makes your skin crawl!
An example of a movie that had potential to be a hit was the DaVinci Code. I like Ron Howard and Tom Hanks so I do not like to sound too harsh! But, Tom was not the right character for it. I think that role called for a much lesser known actor one with no pre-consieved notions. Although personnaly if I had to pick I would have chosen Bill Pullman!?
Anyway that plot had all the fixin's for a great one but fell flat. The dialogue reminded me of a dull lecture. Too bad it had so much potential, I hope if someone does Angels and Demons they use a completely different formula and cast.

A plot that :
-keeps you guessing or that has many twists and turns
-is intelligent and believable
-combines a bit of myth whether ancient or urban
-does not drag on and on and on
-does make you feel as if you know the main characters
-leaves you guessing a bit

Here are a list of thriller/suspense movies that I watch more than once ( there are not too many).
The Ninth Gate
The Ring
Twister
Jurassic Park
Armagedon
Silence of the Lambs
The Fugitive
The Shining
The Mummy
Speed
One Hour Photo
Legend of Sleepy Hollow