Similar Products: Films

In order to understand the codes and conventions of the thriller genre I researched certain films that may not be thrillers but share narrative or characteristics similarities to our media text. From our group, these were what we found:

Shutter Island is a mystery thriller that was made by the big six studio, Paramount in February 2010. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Laeta Kalogridis based on the book written by Dennis Lehane. Shutter Island stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kinsly. Scorsese had a budget of $80,000,000 and grossed an estimated $127,968,405 in under 4 months.
The film is primarily about a man who refuses to admit to the crimes of his past and becomes mentally disturbed by the events he carried out and by the people who try to bring him to accepting his past life.

Salt is an action/crime film that was produced by a subsidiary company of another big six

studio, Columbia Pictures. This Phillip Noyce film was released on the 23rd of July in 2010 starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Daniel Obrychski. The film had an estimated budget of $110,000,000 and grossed $118,311,368. The film is about a CIA agent who grew up as a Russian Spy. She turns against both the law and the ghost leaders of her childhood and creates chaos in order to protect the world. She is an extremely strong character and subverts stereotypes against gender saying that men are stringer than women. She is put into extremely harsh conditions both running from and confronting danger. 

‘Hanna’ is an action thriller film made by a small production company called Focus Feathers. This Joe Wright film was released on the 8th of April 2011. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Vicky Kreips and Cate Blanchett. The film had a budget of $30,000,000 and grossed $40,247,512.

The film is about a young girl with extraordinary strength and stamina who is sent into the world by the father and trainer who was an ex-CIA agent. She tackled extreme obstacles and defeats anyone who crosses her path in an attempt to stop her.

Girl, Interrupted is a biographical drama produced by Columbia Pictures in December 1999. This James Mangold film was written by James Magold, Lisa Loomer and Anna Hamilton Phelan based off the book written by Susanna Kaysen. The film stars Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall and Brittany Murphy. It had a budget of $40,000,000 and grossed and estimated $28,871,190.

The film is about the life of a woman who was briefly placed in a mental institution. We see how the lives of many of the other women were corrupted by the asylum and how for a few of the residence, it;s a living hell. Their determination to get out are unparalleled but are they actually ready to leave?