Mystery? Thriller? Do You Know the Difference? If Not, Your Screenplay Gets a Pass

Summary

This video emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between mystery and thriller stories to meet audience expectations. It highlights the differences in protagonist goals and audience knowledge in each genre, with mysteries focusing on solving puzzles (who, what, where) and thrillers revolving around how the protagonist achieves their goals. The video stresses that delivering the correct type of tension—be it intellectual in mysteries or emotional in thrillers—is key to maintaining audience engagement. Additionally, it discusses the typical structure of these stories, where the second act defines the genre, and the third act often includes thriller elements.

Takeaways

• 🕵️‍♂️ It's essential to understand the difference between mysteries and thrillers to avoid disappointing your audience.
• 🤯 Readers get frustrated when a story starts as one genre but shifts unexpectedly to another.
• 🔍 In mysteries, the protagonist acts like a detective, solving a puzzle based on 'who,' 'what,' 'where,' or 'when.'
• 🎯 The main goal in a thriller is personal to the protagonist, who is often a victim or criminal, and the focus is on 'how' they achieve their goal.
• 🎭 There are three types of tension: (1) the audience knows as much as the protagonist, (2) the audience knows more than the protagonist, and (3) the audience knows less than the protagonist.
• 🕵️ In mysteries, the audience usually learns information alongside the protagonist, solving the puzzle together.
• ⚡ Thrillers rely on the audience knowing less than the protagonist, heightening suspense as they see obstacles the protagonist doesn’t.
• 📖 A mystery is solved by the end of the second act, while a thriller focuses on the protagonist's struggle to complete their quest, which may last through the third act.
• 🎬 Many movies, like *Silence of the Lambs* (mystery) and *John Wick* (thriller), showcase how different genres influence audience engagement.
• 💡 Combining mystery and thriller elements can work, especially when the second act is a mystery, and the third act turns into a thrilling resolution.

Q & A

What is the key difference between a mystery and a thriller?

The main difference lies in the protagonist's goal: mysteries focus on 'who' (who committed the crime, who is the victim, etc.), while thrillers focus on 'how' (how the protagonist will escape, how they will accomplish their task).

What type of tension is most common in mystery stories?

In mystery stories, the audience is typically on equal footing with the protagonist, meaning they learn information as the protagonist does. This is called A = C tension.

How does a thriller typically handle audience knowledge compared to a mystery?

In a thriller, the audience often knows less than the protagonist but more than the supporting characters. This type of tension, where the protagonist knows more than the audience, is common in thrillers.

What makes a mystery more intellectual than a thriller?

Mysteries are more intellectual because they focus on solving puzzles and riddles, which require careful thinking and attention to details. Thrillers, by contrast, are more about emotional engagement and action-driven plot progression.

Why is it important to distinguish between mysteries and thrillers in storytelling?

It's crucial because mismatched expectations can disappoint the audience. If you set up a story as a mystery but deliver a thriller (or vice versa), the audience may feel misled and dissatisfied.

What role does dramatic irony play in thrillers?

Dramatic irony in thrillers arises when the audience knows something that the protagonist doesn't, creating suspense and tension as the protagonist moves towards danger without full knowledge of it.

Why is it recommended to include reversals or twists in mystery stories?

Reversals or twists keep the audience emotionally engaged in what is otherwise an intellectual experience. They make the protagonist (and audience) re-evaluate their assumptions, which increases intrigue.

How does the structure of a mystery differ from a thriller in the second and third acts?

In a mystery, the second act is focused on solving the puzzle (the 'who' or 'what'), and the third act often shifts to a thriller where the protagonist must escape or confront the antagonist. In thrillers, both the second and third acts focus on 'how' the protagonist will achieve their goal.

Can a story blend both mystery and thriller elements?

Yes, many stories blend both. For example, a mystery can transition into a thriller in the third act, where the protagonist must act on the information they've uncovered in the mystery portion.

What is the significance of the protagonist's goal in distinguishing between mysteries and thrillers?

In mysteries, the protagonist is primarily driven by the need to solve a puzzle, while in thrillers, the protagonist’s goal is often personal, such as survival, revenge, or completing a mission, making the stakes more immediate and emotionally driven.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding Story Types: Mysteries vs. Thrillers

In this introduction, the speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between mysteries and thrillers. Misleading the audience by starting one type of story and transitioning to another can lead to frustration. The difference lies in how the story unfolds and the promises made at the beginning. The speaker stresses the need to meet audience expectations by delivering a consistent story type and warns against breaking this trust.

05:01

🎭 Types of Tension in Storytelling

This paragraph discusses the types of tension that can be used in stories to engage the audience. The speaker explains three key forms of tension: (1) when the audience and the protagonist know the same information, (2) when the audience knows more than the protagonist (dramatic irony), and (3) when the audience knows less than the protagonist. The first two types are emphasized as being more emotionally engaging, while the third is noted as weaker due to its intellectual rather than emotional appeal.

10:03

🕵️‍♂️ Mystery Story Essentials: Detective-Like Protagonists and Puzzle-Solving

The speaker describes a mystery story as one where the protagonist acts as a detective, trying to solve a puzzle. The primary question in mysteries is often related to 'who,' 'where,' 'what,' or 'when.' The audience typically learns new information at the same time as the protagonist, maintaining equal footing. The second act is critical in revealing the solution to the mystery, which is a significant turning point in the story.

🎯 Thriller Story Essentials: Victims, Criminals, and High-Stakes Goals

Thrillers, unlike mysteries, feature a protagonist who is either a victim or a criminal with a personal goal. The focus is on how they will achieve or escape their goal, with the audience often knowing less than the protagonist but more than supporting characters. The tension revolves around the 'how' rather than the 'who,' and the protagonist's success or failure in navigating the dangers that surround them.

⚖️ How to Distinguish a Mystery from a Thriller

To differentiate between a mystery and a thriller, the speaker suggests a simple test: When does the audience learn the antagonist's identity? In mysteries, this happens at the end of the second act, while in thrillers, it's revealed by the end of the first act. Examples from popular films like *Silence of the Lambs* (a mystery) and *John Wick* (a thriller) illustrate these differences. The speaker also highlights the distinct storytelling approaches in these genres.

🎬 Practical Examples: Mystery vs. Thriller in Popular Films

This paragraph offers several examples of popular films and how they fit into the mystery or thriller categories. *Silence of the Lambs* is a mystery where Clarice learns Buffalo Bill's identity in the second act. Meanwhile, *John Wick* is a thriller focusing on how the protagonist will exact revenge. Other films like *Zootopia* (a mystery) and *Aladdin* (a thriller) further demonstrate these distinctions. Each example shows the difference in focus—whether it's solving a puzzle or overcoming a high-stakes challenge.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing Mysteries or Thrillers

The speaker warns against prematurely solving a mystery or focusing too much on action in a mystery story, as this can confuse the audience and misalign their expectations. They advise writers to ensure the mystery spans the entire second act. If the story focuses on how the protagonist achieves a goal, then it's a thriller. Mislabeling or misguiding the audience can lead to dissatisfaction.

🧩 Enhancing Mysteries: Reversals, Twists, and Emotional Engagement

This section provides tips for enhancing mystery stories, which tend to be more intellectual. Writers are encouraged to introduce frequent twists, turns, and reversals to keep the audience emotionally engaged. Including a believable romantic subplot can also heighten emotional involvement, making the story more compelling for viewers.

💥 Strengthening Thrillers: Second and Third Act Mini-Thrillers

For thrillers, both the second and third acts should revolve around the 'how.' In the second act, it's about how the protagonist will achieve their goal, while the third act is about how they will survive or accomplish the final task. Thrillers often build tension and excitement throughout by having both acts work in tandem to deliver a thrilling conclusion.

🎯 Combining Mystery and Thriller Elements for a Strong Third Act

Even in mystery stories, the third act often takes on a thriller-like quality. After the protagonist solves the mystery at the end of the second act, the third act shifts focus to how they will escape or overcome the antagonist. This structure is used in *Silence of the Lambs,* where after discovering the identity of Buffalo Bill, Clarice must survive the encounter, shifting the tension into a thriller-like scenario.

📚 Final Advice: Stay True to Your Story’s Promise

In conclusion, the speaker emphasizes the importance of delivering on the promises made to the audience. Whether it's a mystery or a thriller, staying true to the expectations of the genre is critical to maintaining audience engagement. Writers are encouraged to use the links provided for more insights on story structure and to ensure that they are telling a story that resonates emotionally and intellectually with their audience.

Keywords

💡Mystery

A mystery story revolves around solving a puzzle, often related to 'who,' 'what,' 'where,' or 'when.' The protagonist, acting as a detective, seeks to uncover missing information, with the audience learning details alongside the main character. For example, in the video, 'Silence of the Lambs' is described as a mystery where Clarice Starling solves the identity of Buffalo Bill by the end of the second act.

💡Thriller

A thriller is focused on tension and excitement, often revolving around 'how' rather than 'who.' The protagonist is typically a victim or criminal, and the story emphasizes how they will achieve their goal. For instance, 'John Wick' is described as a thriller, where the focus is on how John will get his revenge rather than on discovering his target.

💡Protagonist

The protagonist is the main character in a story, whose actions and goals drive the narrative. In a mystery, the protagonist acts as a detective, solving a puzzle. In a thriller, the protagonist may be a victim or criminal working towards personal goals. In the video, the protagonist's role is key to distinguishing between a mystery and a thriller.

💡Tension

Tension is the emotional strain or suspense that keeps the audience engaged in a story. The video explains three types of tension: (1) the audience knows the same as the protagonist, (2) the audience knows more than the protagonist, and (3) the audience knows less than the protagonist. In mysteries, the audience often learns alongside the protagonist, while in thrillers, the audience may know less.

💡Puzzle

A puzzle in a mystery refers to the unanswered questions that drive the protagonist's investigation. These typically begin with 'who,' 'where,' 'what,' or 'when,' and the story unfolds as the protagonist pieces together clues. In the video, puzzles are a key element of mystery stories, with examples like discovering the identity of a killer.

💡Detective

In mystery stories, the protagonist often takes on the role of a detective, though they don’t have to be one literally. They engage in detective-like activities to uncover the truth behind a puzzle. In the video, Clarice Starling from 'Silence of the Lambs' is an FBI agent acting as a detective, seeking to uncover Buffalo Bill's identity.

💡Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than the protagonist, creating suspense as they anticipate how the protagonist will react when they discover the truth. In thrillers, this type of tension is often used to increase engagement, as the audience is aware of dangers or plans that the protagonist does not yet know about.

💡Reversals

Reversals refer to unexpected twists in the plot that force the protagonist to change their approach. In mystery stories, reversals help maintain emotional engagement by surprising the protagonist and audience with new information that contradicts earlier beliefs. The video emphasizes the importance of reversals in maintaining tension, especially in intellectual genres like mysteries.

💡Second Act

The second act is the core of a story, where most of the action unfolds. In both mysteries and thrillers, this act is crucial for developing the plot, whether it's solving a puzzle or carrying out a mission. The video highlights that in mysteries, the second act is when the protagonist uncovers the truth, while in thrillers, it's about how the protagonist achieves their goal.

💡Audience Expectations

Audience expectations are the assumptions and desires a viewer or reader brings to a story, based on how the story is set up. The video stresses that writers must deliver on the promises they make early in the story. If a story is set up as a mystery, it should continue to follow that path, or the audience may feel misled.

Highlights

Understanding the difference between mysteries and thrillers is essential for not misleading the audience.

Mystery stories focus on 'who,' while thrillers focus on 'how,' influencing the structure of the plot.

A story's genre misalignment can frustrate readers, especially if expectations shift between mystery and thriller.

A mystery protagonist acts like a detective, solving puzzles such as 'who,' 'where,' or 'what'.

In a thriller, the protagonist is often a victim or criminal with personal stakes in their goal.

Tension in stories can be created by aligning or misaligning what the audience knows with the protagonist.

Three types of tension are: audience knows the same as the protagonist, more than the protagonist (dramatic irony), or less than the protagonist.

In a mystery, the audience typically discovers the truth as the protagonist does, leading to shared suspense.

Thrillers often feature personal goals for the protagonist, with the audience unsure of 'how' they will achieve them.

The protagonist of a mystery typically solves the puzzle by the end of the second act.

In a thriller, the antagonist is revealed by the first act, and the story becomes about the protagonist's mission.

Mysteries are more intellectual and need additional elements like reversals or love interests to engage audiences emotionally.

Thrillers often involve the audience knowing more than the protagonist about the antagonist's plans.

The second act of a thriller focuses on how the protagonist will accomplish their mission, with a mini-thriller in the third act.

Mysteries often have a thriller-like third act after solving the puzzle, focusing on how the protagonist escapes or survives.

Transcripts

you need to know the difference between

stories that are Mysteries and stories

that are Thrillers because nothing hacks

off an audience or a reader faster than

thinking they're reading or watching one

type of Story Only to get Whiplash 30

pages in and realize it's a different

kind of story they liked the story you

started telling you teased them with one

story only to give them something else

you made promises at the beginning and

then you broke them shame on you and if

the reader decides to get all the way

through your screenplay they're just

gonna be mad the whole time because you

suckered them in they thought they were

reading a mystery only to find out you

really wanted to tell a thriller yeah

they're gonna be mad so let's not make

them mad

to be clear we are talking about types

of stories not that awful G word that

gets applied to stories which I don't

even like to speak out loud that kind of

label has to do with marketing and award

shows that has nothing to do with what

kind of story you're actually telling

and while you might think that this is a

horror movie and this is a Revenge flick

nope this is a mystery this is a

thriller John Wicks also a western but

that's a different video and you might

think that these are kids movies nope

mystery and thriller or that these are

just superhero movies nope mystery and

Thriller in fact most stories have

either a thriller or mystery element and

you have to know which one you have so

you can make sure you're delivering the

goods because if you're not delivering

what the audience is expecting they're

not gonna like your story so what

exactly is a mystery and what's a

thriller for review and for those of you

new to the channel welcome by the way a

story is about someone who wants

something badly is having trouble

getting it and they get it or they don't

and stories at least for movies and TV

shows are what takes place in the second

act and if you don't understand the

things I just said there's other videos

on this channel that will help you out

and there's some links below that may be

helpful to you I'm gonna pull them apart

just a little bit but we're staying on

this mystery and Thriller train so a

story is about someone one main

character and every once in a while

there will be a story with multiple

protagonists it's possible but fairly

rare the bulk of stories have one main

character and it's important to put a

pin in that as we talk about mystery and

Thriller stories so remember one main

character the second pin is a story is

about a main character who wants

something badly so the goal of the

protagonist is important in

distinguishing between Mysteries and

thrillers the goals of mysteries are

generally about who the goals of

Thrillers are generally about how and

I'll Circle back to that and the third

pen there's one other thing that's

helpful to understand when talking about

mystery and Thriller stories before I

get into exactly what those stories

include and that's the types of tension

that you can use in a story to keep the

audience engaged and there's essentially

three one a equals c the audience knows

exactly what the main character knows

when the main character learns things we

learn things and there might be moments

where one of us knows more than the

other but not for very long the second

type of tension a is greater than C in

this case the audience knows more than

the main character and this is also

called dramatic irony now it's slightly

more complicated than that but for now

the gist is one type of tension you can

use is the audience knows more than the

main character and the third type of

tension you can probably guess a is less

than C and this is where the audience

knows less than the main character now

of these three this one is the weakest

type of tension to use because it's the

most intellectual and the least

emotional for the audience which makes

it hard for the audience to stay engaged

over the Long Haul because storytelling

is all about emotion there are ways

around this one but I'll get to that

okay so we have one protagonist a clear

goal and three types of tension at our

disposal now what is a mystery and what

is a thriller in a mystery the main

character takes the role of a detective

it doesn't mean that they have to be a

literal detective sometimes they are

most of the time they aren't but they're

doing detective-like things so that's

our protagonist now what do they want

well usually they're looking for a

specific answer to a puzzle of some kind

who did it who is the victim where is

the victim what did they take from the

museum or the bank or whatever it is

typically these are puzzles that begin

with who where what or when so for a

mystery so far we've got a main

character who's trying to solve a puzzle

and last in mystery stories the audience

is for the bulk of the story on equal

footing with the protagonist meaning we

learn stuff as they learn stuff they

want to know who the Killer is we want

to learn who the Killer is as we and

closer to the identity of the killer the

protagonist inches closer to the

identity of the killer the most common

puzzles revolve around who who did it or

something closely related and the

protagonist is trying to fill in the

missing information and they fill in

that missing information at the end of

the second act not the end of the movie

at the end of the second act but a

thriller does not have a detective as

the main character or anyone else in a

detective role as the protagonist if

there is a detective they are a

supporting character or maybe a string

character at best the protagonist of a

thriller is usually a victim or a

criminal now they might might be both

victim and criminal but one of those

identities takes precedent so that's our

protagonist but what do they want well

in the case of a thriller the goal can

be practically anything to escape to do

a heist to kill an enemy to track down

someone or avoid being tracked down or

avoid being killed or thwart The Heist

the goal itself depends on if they are

the victim or the criminal but what is

crucial is that the goal is personal to

the victim or the criminal they are

personally invested in achieving

whatever goal they're setting out to

achieve and the third piece we need the

type of tension in Thrillers well the

audience typically knows less than the

protagonist but more than the supporting

characters in the story so we're kind of

in between on the knowledge scale and as

a result Thrillers primarily revolve

around how how will the victim or the

criminal get away or how will they

accomplish their task and we don't know

how now because the protagonist hasn't

let us in on all of their plans but at

the same time we're worried for the

protagonist because we know things that

they don't know we see what their

enemies are doing to thwart their plans

so if you aren't sure what kind of story

you're dealing with one kind of test you

can do is to answer this question at

what point does the audience know who

the antagonist is if the audience knows

at the end of the second act when the

puzzle's been solved then it's a mystery

if the audience knows at the end of the

first act before the protagonist starts

trying to accomplish their Quest okay

then it's more than likely a thriller so

let's put some legs on this with some

quick examples and I referred to them

earlier Silence of the Lambs is widely

viewed as a horror film or even a

thriller if we're talking about that

nasty G word but it is at its core a

mystery Clarice Starling an FBI

detective is trying to find the identity

of Buffalo Bill who is Buffalo Bill and

we learn about Buffalo Bill as Clarice

learns about Buffalo Bill yes I know

there's Hannibal Lecter but he's in the

movie for literally about 20 minutes

it's Clarissa's story and she's after

Buffalo Bill and she discovers the

identity of Buffalo Bill at the end of

the second act which is what we are also

concerned about who is Buffalo Bill

Silence of lambs is a mystery at its

core John Wick on the other hand has

John Wick as the protagonist a killer a

criminal and he is after the guy who

killed his dog there are things that

John knows that we don't know he

understands the world he is in we don't

he knows where The Chop Shop is he knows

where secret stashes are kept he has

resources we didn't know about and we

keep finding them out as the story goes

along and all the while we're wondering

how is John Wick going to get to Joseph

because we also know who Yosef is and

who his dad is and we learn what they're

trying to do to slow down and try to

stop John Wick from completing his task

and this knowledge makes us excited for

the ride and worried about the outcome

John Wick is a thriller and we are not

concerned about who John is after we

know who he's after there is no puzzle

to solve here but we are concerned with

how John is going to get his Vengeance

and let me quickly run through the

others I noted zootopia will Judy Hopps

figure out who is behind making

Predators go Savage she does at the end

of the second act it's a mystery Aladdin

how will Aladdin A Street rat criminal

fool everyone with the help of a genie

to win the heart of a princess and stop

Jafar how will he do it he only has

three wishes it's a thriller Captain

America the Winter Soldier Will Steve

Rogers find out who is leading Hydra and

what they are planning yep at the end of

the second act classic mystery Infinity

War how how will Thanos a genocidal

Titan beat the Avengers and get all the

Infinity Stones he knows more than we do

but we know a few things he doesn't

because we see how the Avengers are

trying to stop him it's a thriller so if

you start your story and you set it up

as like a mystery but the mystery gets

solved around 40 pages into your 105

page screenplay okay you just lied to

the reader the reader was expecting a

mystery a mystery that was going to last

for the bulk of the movie or to say it

another way a mystery that was going to

last for the entire second act but you

didn't deliver that the answer to the

mystery must come at the end of the

second act not sooner and definitely not

later or if you've set up a mystery but

your screenplay focuses on how a

character is going to accomplish

something instead of focusing on the

actual solving of the mystery okay then

you only think you have a mystery you're

actually writing a thriller and chances

are you're promising things to the

audience that you're not giving them so

give the audience what you're promising

there's two quick things I need to note

that will help you figure out and craft

your mystery or thriller stories quick

thing number one mystery stories are

more intellectual and less emotional for

the audience but storytelling again is

all about engaging the emotions of the

audience so if you're writing a mystery

you have to do some storytelling things

to keep the audience more engaged one

way to do that is to have a lot of

reversals along the way the protagonist

thinks one thing but then learn

something that contradicts what they

thought they knew so they have to go a

new Direction so twists turns reversals

you need more of them than you might

normally think you need in a mystery

something else you can do for a mystery

is to include a love interest for your

main character we all understand the

emotional pull of romantic relationships

and as long as it's believable this will

help pull the audience through your

mystery story quick thing two for

Thriller Stories the second act is all

about out how will the protagonist do

whatever they're trying to do right I

mean that's what the second act is all

about but the third Act is also a mini

Thriller how will the protagonist get

away or how will the protagonist kill

the person they've been hunting the

second act was how will they find him

the third Act is how will they kill them

or how will they get away that kind of

thing so Thrillers typically have a

thriller second act and a thriller third

act Mysteries however have a mystery

second act as we've pointed out or you

know obviously wouldn't be a mystery but

they often have a thriller third act so

in Silence of the Lambs will Clarisse

find the identity of Buffalo Bill yes at

the end of the second act she does but

now how will she make it out of the

house alive the third Act is a thriller

so whether you're writing a mystery or a

thriller you'll more than likely have a

thriller element as your third act if

you want to learn more about story

structure which can really help you out

as you craft stories there are links

below that can help or you can start by

watching this if you found value don't

forget about all the fun buttons below

comment about what was helpful and

whenever you tell a story be sure you

tell a story that matters

see you later