The Thrill of the Chase Written by: December 31, 2020 In a significant percentage of all movies ever made there is an unstated, but definitely understood, compact between filmmaker and viewer. It is that everything will turn out all right in the end. In the Action/Adventure genre, for example, you have the hero(ine) – from James Bond to Indiana Jones – facing wild and dangerous obstacles, which consumes the majority of the running time. Yet they come out unscathed in the end. In RomComs ( Romantic Comedie s) the eventually-happy couple typically “meet cute,” then have some misunderstandings, conflicts or external circumstances that threaten their relationship. But again, after stumbling through a convoluted and often farcical plot, they finally recognize their love for each other and are reunited at the final, fade-out kiss. Audiences have always expected such resolutions and likely would not lay down whatever admission fee (whether movie ticket price or even time expended) if this tacit contract was violated. Such movies are often called