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Suspense or Mystery ?

Mystery v. Suspense? I am having a dilemma in writing a story, not sure whether to revise it to incorporate more mystery but at the cost of suspense (of course the ultimate would be to have both, but I am not sure that is possible, at least I can not figure it out). This would seem like a good topic of discussion.

Anyhow, the antagonist is released from a mental hospital, and not too much later ends up taking a nanny position for a family, ultimately turning into a pyscho and posing the threat at the later climax plot point. The question is: should the antagonist be shown early on being released from the mental hospital, or should the unstable mental nature of the antagonist be kept hidden from the viewer until later in the story?

In the first case (showing the antag being released from the mental hospital [wasn't that sort of trick done in Halloween?] the antagonist becomes a sort of Hitchcockian ticking bomb--and from what I have read it adds more suspense if the viewer sees the bomb well in advance; but then there is less mystery as to the antagonist's identify. So, first case = more suspense but less mystery.

In the second case, I could NOT show the antagonist being released from the mental hospital, keep her unstable mental condition hidden from the viewer until later in the story, gradually revealing clues about that; but then the antagonist is less of a threat during the story, sort of like NOT knowing there is a ticking bomb. So, second case = less suspense but more mystery.
 
I like the second scenario because until you start dropping little clue bombs, she's just a nice babysitter. The trick is to find a really cool way to drop the clue bombs.

-- spinner :cool:
 
I think the second scenario would go over better with today's audiences. If something is too obvious or predictable, it falls flat for me. But if Ms. Nice Nanny seems too good to be true, I'd be thinking "axe murderer" from the start.

Who in their right mind hires a nanny without a criminal background check? That must be one desperate family.
 
The analogy that comes to my mind is the film "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle"; a nice nanny turns into the psycho bitch from hell nanny. I will have to rent that film.

I like the second scenario because until you start dropping little clue bombs, she's just a nice babysitter. The trick is to find a really cool way to drop the clue bombs.-- spinner :cool:
 
The only thing about The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is that it was done in 1992. So now, like VPT said, you can almost see a 'crazy babysitter' a mile away. If you can come at it with a different angle, who knows? :)

-- spinner :cool:
 
Mystery v. Suspense? I am having a dilemma in writing a story, not sure whether to revise it to incorporate more mystery but at the cost of suspense (of course the ultimate would be to have both, but I am not sure that is possible, at least I can not figure it out). This would seem like a good topic of discussion.

Anyhow, the antagonist is released from a mental hospital, and not too much later ends up taking a nanny position for a family, ultimately turning into a pyscho and posing the threat at the later climax plot point. The question is: should the antagonist be shown early on being released from the mental hospital, or should the unstable mental nature of the antagonist be kept hidden from the viewer until later in the story?

In the first case (showing the antag being released from the mental hospital [wasn't that sort of trick done in Halloween?] the antagonist becomes a sort of Hitchcockian ticking bomb--and from what I have read it adds more suspense if the viewer sees the bomb well in advance; but then there is less mystery as to the antagonist's identify. So, first case = more suspense but less mystery.

In the second case, I could NOT show the antagonist being released from the mental hospital, keep her unstable mental condition hidden from the viewer until later in the story, gradually revealing clues about that; but then the antagonist is less of a threat during the story, sort of like NOT knowing there is a ticking bomb. So, second case = less suspense but more mystery.

Sounds like THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE to me.

filmy
 
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I'm more of a hitchcock fan. My feature had a protagonist that we kept hidden and the story simply didn't work, I'm having to do much more structural editing work to make up for what seemed like a good idea at the time.

We're still going to keep the mystery, but I'm having to restructure the telling of the protagonists story to get the audience to feel for him more quickly...that and it'll cut out a lot of expository dialog that was mucking up the movie...expository dialog sux, don't ever rely on it!

I'm a suspense guy normally though, I'd say show it first!
 
Thank you for the support. I can see it both ways. Hard to decide which way to go with the story. I think it could work either way-- it just might appeal then to one group of viewers and not to another, and vice versa (and there we have the mixed reviews on some films that I like and others don't or that I do not like and others do, such as discussed at length in another thread). OK I gotta go find some spare change to flip a coin...;)

I'm more of a hitchcock fan. My feature had a protagonist that we kept hidden and the story simply didn't work, I'm having to do much more structural editing work to make up for what seemed like a good idea at the time. We're still going to keep the mystery, but I'm having to restructure the telling of the protagonists story to get the audience to feel for him more quickly...that and it'll cut out a lot of expository dialog that was mucking up the movie...expository dialog sux, don't ever rely on it! I'm a suspense guy normally though, I'd say show it first!
 
Joe999

Why not take the second route. But have some fun with it. What if we don't initially see her getting released from the hospital. What if we first see her with a suitcase, etc. on a subway car or bus. She gets off and walks up to a apartment complex where she has someone take her to her room. Perhaps this is a building the hospital uses to send recently released patients. Kind of like when you get released from prison, they set you up with a job and a cheapo apartment. Have the mental institution use this apartment as a place for released patients to get back on their feet and get adjusted. From there she can maybe find the position in a local city paper or something.

So, overall we don't actually see her getting released from a mental hospital, but the viewer knows that she is coming from somewhere because she has a suitcase, etc. and is moving into a run down apartment complex. Through the script you can reveal what is needed to the reader. Maybe the family does some background on her and finds her records seeing that she was recently released from a mental hospital.

Something along those lines. What do you think?
 
That is actually close to what my mentor came up with for me, a compromise between the two. Mystery and suspense. Yes you are on a good track with that idea. I am going to go with something along that line, basically hide the fact that she is a recent mental hospital released patient, reveal that later in the story.

Why not take the second route. But have some fun with it. What if we don't initially see her getting released from the hospital. What if we first see her with a suitcase, etc. on a subway car or bus. She gets off and walks up to a apartment complex where she has someone take her to her room....Something along those lines. What do you think?
 
That is actually close to what my mentor came up with for me, a compromise between the two. Mystery and suspense. Yes you are on a good track with that idea. I am going to go with something along that line, basically hide the fact that she is a recent mental hospital released patient, reveal that later in the story.


Yeah, also by doing this, you can really build on what kind of character she is. Right off the get go she is mysterious, we don't know much about her except that she is coming from somewhere and is checking into an old looking apartment. Maybe even have the person who answers the door say something like "You must be her". Gives that extra little boost. They know something but the viewers/readers don't. Not yet anyways. It fills the gap on both mystery and suspense. You can take this in so many ways.

Now, when I am having a hard time thinking something out why can't it come this easy for me! haha. I'm working on something now that is pretty big and it's kicking my arse! haha. But, It's all coming in chunks... Should be interesting!
 
It certainly is a process, screenwriting, storytelling. One really gains an appreciation for a screenplay and the writer behind a film story once you do it.

...Now, when I am having a hard time thinking something out why can't it come this easy for me! haha. I'm working on something now that is pretty big and it's kicking my arse! haha. But, It's all coming in chunks... Should be interesting!
 
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