Writing the Thriller Film: The Terror Within

Neill Hicks is a GENRE-OLOGIST of the highest degree. The author takes you on a tightly writtern journey into the conventions and principles of the Thriller genre. Just like a well told story, this non-fiction delight will have you saying "Oh Yeah, that's right" over and over. I have returned to his chapter "Character Ethos" multiple times, finding more depth in each reading. Even if you don't want to write a Thriller, this work will help you grasp the nuances of genre in general. Written with authority and humor, I highly recommend this book.

First, a disclaimer: Hicks and I share a publisher (Michael Wiese Productions) but we've never met. That being said, this is a terrific book. Hicks clearly lays out the elements necessary to create a tight, emotionally-satisfying thriller. He outlines the narrative structure of a solid thriller in clear, helpful language, and goes on to explain the characteristics of a strong protagonist and antagonist. He also offers an explanation of the differences between an action film, a detective film, a horror film and a thriller -- and he provides examples and script excerpts from great thrillers (such as North By Northwest and Breakdown) to demonstrate his ideas. If you want to write a thriller script, or just get a better idea of what it takes to create and structure a solid thriller, this is the book for you.

As a language arts teacher and story writer I found his analysis of genre to be absolutely amazing. Not since reading Marie von Franz and other Jungian views of genre and the shadow world have I found such clarity. Don't listen to those who put it down. It was obviously over their heads - as stated by one reviewer directly. If you understand Jung and psychology, you'll find this to be an excellent resource in the way Hicks creates the psychological levels of conflict resolution through his labeling of plot components and the protagonist's journey.

I bought this book to help me with my current script. I thought I was writing a thriller, but after reading it, I have discovered that I am really writing a horror story! At last, someone has finally dissected what a thriller IS and ISN'T. I need to see the RULES, and they are all here. Now I understand the genre. Mr. Hicks has done an outstanding job by explaining what it is and how to do it. His screenplay excerpts are excellent. I'm going to rent "Breakdown" this weekend and study the form.

Writing The Thriller Film: The Terror Within by professional screenwriter Neill D. Hicks ("Rumble in the Bronx", "First Strike") is a practical guide to creating a professional quality, tension-inducing, commercially viable movie script. Intended for authors who are already familiar with the basics of screenwriting, Writing The Thriller Film concentrates on what the movie genre of the "thriller" expects from a good script, how to make the narrative credible and engrossing, the qualities and actions needed for an engaging conflict between protagonist and antagonist, dramatic action as hard choices forced upon the characters, and more. Writing The Thriller Film explores the much-beloved genre in-depth and is an excellent and recommended primer for aspiring thriller and action movie screenwriters. Also highly recommended are Neill Hicks two other outstanding "how to" screenwriting instructionals: Writing the Action-Adventure Film: The Moment Of Truth (0941188396...), and Screenwriting 101: The Essential Craft Of Feature Film Writing (0941188728;...).