Thriller Film openings

 Hello everyone, in this blog post I will be disscussing and analyzing three different film openings that are thriller genres. My group and I chose thriller as the genre that we would choose to incorporate into our protfolio project. 

Now, thriller is meant to povokes ones thoughts and create tension. The film openings for thrillers are very important because they help establish the mood and the tension form the very beginning. The openings of Children of Men (2006), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Gone Girl (2014) are great examples of how the thriller genre draws audiences in by creating the suspense form the very start.

The opening of  "Children of Men" first begins with introducing the audience to an unsettling world.The film begins with a tracking shot inside a cafe, where people are watching a news report about the death of the world’s youngest person. This moment establishes the situation or the problem of the film. A explosion then happens right after, which reinforces the concpet of it being an unatural world.

This opening is effective within the thriller genre because it combines realism with violence. By using the tracking shot , it shows the chaos in the world and immerses the audience to feel the experience. Rather than explaining the chaos , the film allows the audience to make an understanding with information like the setting and dialogue. This helps creates a sense  uncertainty, which is a key for thrillers. 

The opening scene of "The Silence of the Lambs" focuses on this woman who is running through an FBI training course in a foggy forest. This opening is quiet ,with minimal dialogue, which intensifys the isolation. The setting immediately creates discomfort, as the audience is unsure whether she is being watched or something else.

This opening showcases the psychological tension within the thriller genre because it establishes unease through isolation. The lack of music allows the sound of woman's breathing and footsteps to be the sound that is highlighted and is contrasting the setting. Without revealing any danger, the opening builds suspense and psychological tension, which sets the expectations of uneasiness.

Gone Girl opens with a disturbing voiceover from the husband as he describes his wife. The opening visuals are neat showing normality, which contrasts with the husbands unsettling thoughts. This immediately creates suspicion from the audience.

This opening is effective as a psychological thriller because it introduces the concept of misleading narration. Rather than presenting a clear message , the film encourages the audience to question Nick’s \intentions from the very beginning. The opening establishes themes of manipulation, aand deception, which are key to the thriller genre.

Citations: https://www.ranker.com/list/haunting-opening-scenes-thriller-films/orri-grey

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35629774/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_(film)