Qualities That Make a Great Mystery or Suspense Movie
- Filmmakers in this genre tend to learn a great deal from Alfred Hitchcock. His films helped define the genre, and some of his basic principles are still very important. One which he was a master of was the McGuffin, a term that refers to an item in the story which seems critical at first but turns out not to be related to the central plot. This helps misdirect the mind of the audience like the puff of smoke in a magician's trick, and helps to make the reveal of the film much more of a surprise.
- In suspense films, and indeed in mystery films as well as the two are often one and the same, the pace is critical to getting the audience to invest in the action. These films need to start slowly enough to give the audience time to get to know and invest in the characters. Otherwise, the stakes are not high enough when the action starts. When it does though, it needs to drive forward relentlessly in order to build the suspense and keep it at a fever pitch until the conclusion.
- Superficial suspense and mystery movies have a tendency to get panned by critics after they debut because of a lack of engaging characters. Movies in this genre need to have characters that the audience cares about, and who are complex and multifaceted. This makes the audience care once those characters are thrust into the situation that drives the plot. At the end of the film, the characters should be as memorable as the plot devices were. Characters like Philip Marlow, Clarice Starling, Sam Spade or even John Ferguson all help make the movies they feature in memorable classics.
- A great mystery or suspense movie must keep the resolution hidden until the last possible moment. The pacing of the reveal, whether it is a great plot twist, the discovery of a villain, or simply the resolution of the goal of the protagonist is also important. Shock value plays a large part in the value of a reveal. If the audience truly did not see what was coming, the ending should stick with them a long time after seeing the movie, especially if the surprise is grounded in the characters and plot. M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" provides one of the best examples of a well-done reveal.
