Cliffhangers and Red-herrings

What is a thriller?

A thriller is a very common movie genre. A definition of thrillers is that it 'provides the sudden rush of emotions, excitement, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace thrills. It keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists and cliffhangers are used extensively.'

They most likely contain a hero who saves the day, however there is a villain that will always produce obstacles for the hero to overcome. 
Modern thrillers (2010s) include Shutter Island, Salt and Buried,whereas older thrillers include movies such as The Most Dangerous Game (1940s), North By North West (1950s) and Psycho (1960s).

As it says in the definition, thrillers commonly use devices such as cliffhangers and red herrings.  This is to make the audience more intrigued and to cause tension within the film.


What is a cliffhanger?

The definition for a cliffhanger is 'a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction.'

Cliffhangers are used to make the audience on edge and so ending the movie with a tense scene will make the audience come back for more.  It leaves the audience to think of their own endings and so they will be surprised when they watch the next instalment.  

Lots of thrillers use cliffhangers at the ends of their movies, some even use them at the start of the film.  This will then draw people in and make them want to carry on watching.


What is a Red herring?

The definition of a red herring is that it is a 'literary device that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction.'

This means that red herrings are used to make the audience think that something will happen but then the movie goes down an unexpected path.  For example, in North By North West, one of the characters is thought to be part of the villains group, however it turns out she was a good person all along.

When the unexpected happens it adds tension and suspense to the film, making it more enjoyable and surprising to the audience.