--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're making a psychological…" description: "\"When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need to do is have an audience on shifting sand so they're never quite sure where they are.\" — Ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg" --- # When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need… ![“When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need to do is have an audience on shifting sand so they're never quite sure where they are.” quote by Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg) > “When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need to do is have an audience on shifting sand so they're never quite sure where they are.” [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A thriller should keep viewers uncertain, constantly shifting perspective to maintain tension. **In simple terms:** Keep audience unsure of reality. Key Takeaway Create constant uncertainty. Themes suspense psychology storytelling Mood tense intriguing Type advice creative. When to use this quote - Film direction - scriptwriting - scene planning - audience engagement Key Concepts Narrative instability viewer perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance mystery and clarity? - What techniques keep tension without confusing? A Different Perspective Too much ambiguity can alienate viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological/) [Psychological thrillers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological-thrillers/) [Shifting sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shifting-sand/) [Thrillers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrillers/) ## Related quotes > [Force Majeure is a jolt. You won't know what hit you. Director Ostlund shifts gears from humor to psychological thriller with cunning skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-travers/force-majeure-is-a-jolt-you-won-t-know-what-hit-you-director-ostlund/) [Peter Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-travers/) > [I think everyone should read The Girl on The Train, especially if they loved Gone Girl. It's about Rachel, a girl who sees a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle/i-think-everyone-should-read-the-girl-on-the-train-especially-if-they/) [Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle/) > [I love the psychological thriller piece of it. Because we are trapped in this isolated environment with a deadly virus, what's really interesting is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-zagorsky/i-love-the-psychological-thriller-piece-of-it-because-we-are-trapped/) [Kyra Zagorsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-zagorsky/) > [Throat clutching from the outset! The Never List stands as a sterling example of psychological thriller writing at its best. Cancel appointments and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/throat-clutching-from-the-outset-the-never-list-stands-as-a-sterling/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [To write a damn good thriller, you need a killer attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/to-write-a-damn-good-thriller-you-need-a-killer-attitude/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I would love to do something in the thriller category. Not so much horror, but I would love to do a full-on psychological thriller.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-nevin/i-would-love-to-do-something-in-the-thriller-category-not-so-much/) [Brooke Nevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-nevin/) > [The secrets of small towns have fascinated writers and readers since the first psychological thriller was penned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/the-secrets-of-small-towns-have-fascinated-writers-and-readers-since/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [I love a psychological thriller, particularly ones that are written by women. I've just finished 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn, which was so creepy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/i-love-a-psychological-thriller-particularly-ones-that-are-written-by/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [I like all of the mental, psychological thriller movies too. I enjoy horror movies across the board.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-like-all-of-the-mental-psychological-thriller-movies-too-i-enjoy/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [I don't like excessive violence. That's my thing. I don't like movies heavy with guns, any of that stuff, so I'm not into that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/i-don-t-like-excessive-violence-that-s-my-thing-i-don-t-like-movies/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [The term 'psychological thriller' is an elastic one these days, tagged liberally on to any story of suspense that explores motivations while keeping blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/the-term-psychological-thriller-is-an-elastic-one-these-days-tagged/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > ['Ralph's Party' was supposed to be a psychological thriller, but I fell in love with all my characters and wanted only the best for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/ralph-s-party-was-supposed-to-be-a-psychological-thriller-but-i-fell/) [Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/) > [You cannot build your life with a consistent worldview that is on the shifting sands of moral relativism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/you-cannot-build-your-life-with-a-consistent-worldview-that-is-on-the/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [No nation can survive without passing its heritage, language and, yes, faith to the next generation. A country must be built on something substantial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/no-nation-can-survive-without-passing-its-heritage-language-and-yes/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [You must not lose confidence in God because you lost confidence in your pastor. If our confidence in God had to depend upon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-not-lose-confidence-in-god-because-you-lost-confidence-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mark Strong > [Some jobs you do, they're just jobs. Others are life experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/some-jobs-you-do-they-re-just-jobs-others-are-life-experiences/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I've never been one of those actors who plays chess with his career and goes, 'I'm going to wait now and see what project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-ve-never-been-one-of-those-actors-who-plays-chess-with-his-career/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I'm like anyone; I make a lot of my assumptions about actors I don't know from what I read about them. And then I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-m-like-anyone-i-make-a-lot-of-my-assumptions-about-actors-i-don-t/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [For me, family comes over and above everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/for-me-family-comes-over-and-above-everything/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [It's important to me that I don't spend too much time away from the family. I try to pick jobs that will keep me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/it-s-important-to-me-that-i-don-t-spend-too-much-time-away-from-the/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I was born in London, and my family is here. America is an interesting place, but it's incredibly different culturally. It doesn't take long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-was-born-in-london-and-my-family-is-here-america-is-an-interesting/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I do get antsy if I haven't got lines to learn, a character to play. But yes, I do take holidays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-do-get-antsy-if-i-haven-t-got-lines-to-learn-a-character-to-play/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which was founded by Laurence Olivier and has alumni like Jeremy Irons and Daniel Day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-studied-at-the-bristol-old-vic-theatre-school-which-was-founded-by/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I think it serves the purpose of the film if the premise is that you're unsure of me because you've only ever really seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-think-it-serves-the-purpose-of-the-film-if-the-premise-is-that-you/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I studied law, so perhaps I might have made it to the Bar, though I gave up that idea when I suspected playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-studied-law-so-perhaps-i-might-have-made-it-to-the-bar-though-i/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [There have been things over the years that didn't work. 'Body Of Lies,' directed by Ridley Scott, which I did with Russell Crowe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/there-have-been-things-over-the-years-that-didn-t-work-body-of-lies/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I can't imagine anything worse than being in a position that you're not allowed to live your life privately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-can-t-imagine-anything-worse-than-being-in-a-position-that-you-re/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [ \[Before I Go To Sleep\] script was a great journey with all the twists and turns that were kind of unexpected. I had to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/before-i-go-to-sleep-script-was-a-great-journey-with-all-the-twists/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [It's great to have the chance to play a character before he goes to the dark side, or the yellow side if you will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/it-s-great-to-have-the-chance-to-play-a-character-before-he-goes-to/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [Rowan Joffe is very specific. I mean, he wrote it as well and he has a very orderly writer's mind and the same applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/rowan-joffe-is-very-specific-i-mean-he-wrote-it-as-well-and-he-has-a/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) [Explore all 74 Mark Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need to do is have an audience on shifting sand so they're never quite sure where they are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Strong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thriller-what-you-need-to-do-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thriller-what-you-need-to-do-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/mark-strong-9188_audience_when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thril_1377155.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're making a psychological thriller, what you need to do is have an audience on shifting sand so…” — Mark Strong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mark Strong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you're making a psychological thriller,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thriller-what-you-need-to-do-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/when-you-re-making-a-psychological-thriller-what-you-need-to-do-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```