Research on Thriller Sub-genres

Prom Night (2008)
Directed By Nelson McCormick
Starring Brittany Show, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone
Prom Night is a mystery thriller. The storyline of the movie starts off with teenager Donna recounting to her analyst a flashback of the brutal murder of her family, by one of her former school teachers, who is obsessed with her. He was then caught and locked up 'for good'. Now living with her Aunt and Uncle, she is plagued by dreams of what happened to her family, fearing he has escaped prison and is out to get her once again. Her senior prom takes place. However the night turns from magic to murder when the psychopath Richard has escaped from prison and is lodged in the same floor in the hotel chasing Donna, stabbing anyone who gets in his way of reaching Donna. 



Vantage Point (2008)
Directed By Pete Travis
Starring Denis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Vantage Point is an action thriller. The storyline is about when the President of the United States visits Spain and is about to address the city about an international treaty designed to combat global terrorism, in a public square. Moments after his arrival he is shot. A bomb also goes off in the square. There are 8 main characters, all at the city place when the shots ring out, all with a different 'vantage point'. This set of eight characters includes people in charge of the President’s security, the media, civilians and the people taking out the attack. Each time the clock rewinds and those same 15 minutes are told several times, from each of the person's perspectives, adding additional details until the terrifying truth behind the assassination attempt is revealed.



The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
Directed and Written By Anthony Minghella
Starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Talented Mr Ripley is a psychological thriller.Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City. The story starts off with Tom Ripley playing a piano, in a borrowed Princeton jacket, at a party. He is approached by a wealthy father of a recent Princeton, who believes Tom to be an actual graduate of the university and a friend of his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Ripley is then asked to travel to Italy to persuade Dickie to return to the US help run the family business.He agrees, although he does not know who Dickie is. When reaching Italy, contrives an "accidental" meeting on the beach with Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge Sherwoo. Lying his way through, he quickly becomes a part of their lives. Soon later things begin to change when Ripley offers to Greenleaf to travel with him on a short holiday to Sanremo. The two hire a small boat and head out to sea together.Eventually Ripley kills Greenleaf and goes to extreme lengths to take his identity, to make sure no one finds out about the murder.