The dictionary defines Protagonist and Antagonist basically as the main characters in a film being the 'good guy' and 'bad guy'. The antagonist is the main character in a text where the plot usually revolves around them, and the audience are usually on their side. The protagonist is the total opposite of the antagonist, they are usually the enemy of the antagonist, who bring disruptions to the antagonist to dodge throughout the narrative. The protagonist is usually the hero or heroine and the plot revolves around them, forming mystery and twists throughout the storyline. In some cases we view the protagonist as the good guy, but in a thriller this can be turned completely around with a twist, and we see the protagonist unveil to the audience to actually being the villain. The antagonist is always found juxtaposed of a protagonist, as the narrative need disruptions to make the storyline more entertaining, which is what the antagonist does as he/she creates situations the protagonist must overcome, which are usually dangerous. Throughout the film, the protagonist and antagonist are always in battle with each other, as they are each others enemy.
An example of a protagonist would be Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) in Taken, as the storyline is based around him trying to find his daughter in Europe. He is a lonely character as he fights for a great bond with his daughter which his ex wife refuses, as he doesn't win his daughters trust as she lies to him about going Europe instead of France. We see early on in the film that Bryan is a hero as he serves his duty of a security guard and rescues a singer from being attacked at her concert. We also find out that he once worked with the FBI, showing he is a strong and educated character in criminal minds. Later on his daughter is kidnapped in France, and Bryan dedicates his time to find her, fighting his way through prostitute companies and bad guys. He eventually finds her and saves her, proving his a a hero and the ultimate protagonist as he meets the requirements of the typical protagonist but he goes on his mission by himself, as usually the good guy would have a team behind him with a 'sidekick'.
An example of a antagonist would be The Joker (Heath Ledger), as he is the primary antagonist in Bat Man. He is the complete opposite of the protagonist Bat Man, even in physical features as we see Bat Man as this strong muscular hero where we see The Joker with a frame of an average man. Also there is a twist as we see the protagonist Bat Man wearing dark colours which indicate the dark and bad side, and we see the Joker wearing bright colourful with a clowns face, contradicting the usual conventions of a good and bad guy. While Bat Man prefers to lurk in the shadows, the Joker stays in the spotlight, playing with his sick and twisted games and is often confronted by the authorities. He is viewed as the most evil and psychotic killer in all the comic books, as he kills for a sport and does this according to his own sick ways, as he does not desire for money, which most thriller antagonists thrive for.
So overall, protagonists and antagonists are used in thrillers to help the storyline roll, as it is usually based around them. They are conveyed through typical conventions of a bad and good guy, but sometimes they are challenged to create even darker and mysterious characters to give more entertainment. For every thriller there is always a protagonist and for every protagonist there is an antagonist.
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