Propp character types are included...
Characters: In Mystery films the central protagonist is usually a figure of authority, such as police man/woman.Heroes of this genre are usually portrayed as pure and good, and will usually be seen in police uniform, stating authority, or wear white suggesting they are pure and brave.
Villains of this genre are usually disguised and not truly revealed until the end of the film. Though the villains of this genre are very stereotypical, and seek power, wealth or someone in particular, such as the princess.
Sometimes false villains (or red herrings) are used in this genre to fool the audience and make them pay attention to the film itself, such as Alfred Borne’s twin in the Prestige.
There is always a victim in this genre of film. Whether they were important characters before their death or not, someone is almost always killed by the villain.
the typical princess character type is usually portrayed in these films as a typical ‘damsel in distress’ and is also a possible victim or object of the Villain’s schemes.
Helpers are frequently used in this genre of film, although there have been many different ‘types’ of them. The helpers can sometimes be actually more intelligent than the hero himself, such as John Watson in ‘Sherlock Holmes’, although Watson is well educated he cannot solve the crimes himself, which happens to most helpers, as this is down to the hero.
The helpers can also be a nuisance somewhat to the hero, sometimes geting into trouble or not helping beacuse they are not as experienced as their partner.
Usual Plotlines..
Mystery films usually start, like all films, with an established equilibrium. The audience is made sure that we see that the hero is peaceful in his/her everyday life and we get some background information on them too (like their personalities and role in society). After this there is a disruption of the equilbrium, which is most likely to be caused by a murder or crime of some sort, which we and the hero are made aware of, but the culprit (or villain) is kept disguised. After we are made aware of the disruption or crime, the hero then embarks on an invetsigation to discover the truth or whom the villain is. Th einvestigation usually involves a gathering of clues, crime scene searches and interviews. Here is when the hero and indeed the audience is fooled by false villains or ‘red herrings’ which we are to be believe are the true culprits but are soon told this is not the case. A new equilbrium is restored when the hero finds the true culprit at last, and the villain is punished, returning peace to the hero’s life.
examples of mystery/thriller movies for inspiration
Psycho is a 1960 thriller film which proved very popular with many generations of audiences. It is said to be Alfred hitchcocks best film and one of the greatest films of all time. I find this inspirational because it was shot in black and white adding to the eerie effect of the film. The shower scene is still iconic even today. 
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. I find the plotline inspirational because it gained widespread sucess, this implies that it was attention grabbing and shocking. 
Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller. 
Good - it would be good if you could comment on which of these character types/ theories you are planning on using in your own product.
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