Thriller Video

Lore & Background

In a 1950s setting, Jackson and his girlfriend run out of gas in the woods. He warns her he is "not like other guys" before transforming into a werewolf to attack her. The scene shifts to the present day where they are watching this film in a theater; she leaves, frightened. Outside on a city street at night, Jackson teases her with verses from "Thriller." They pass a graveyard where zombies rise and surround them. Jackson joins the horde as a zombie, performing the song's choruses. The group chases his girlfriend into an abandoned house. She screams and wakes up, realizing it was a nightmare. As Jackson embraces her and takes her home, he looks back at the camera and grins, revealing werewolf eyes.

In Their Own Story

The narrative begins in the 1950s with Jackson and Ola Ray's characters walking through a forest after their car runs out of gas. After she accepts his invitation to be his girlfriend, he warns her about his nature and transforms into a werecat. The story then cuts to the present where they are watching this transformation on screen in a theater. When the film ends, the girlfriend exits, scared. On a city street at night, Jackson performs the verses of "Thriller" while they walk past a graveyard. Zombies emerge from their graves and surround the pair. Jackson transforms into a zombie himself, leading a dance with the horde before chasing his girlfriend into an abandoned house. She wakes up screaming, finding it was all a dream, only for Jackson to reveal his true nature in the final shot.

Reader's Guide

The video was conceived after Epic Records executives doubted "Thriller" would work as a single, asking, "Who wants a single about monsters?" Manager Frank DiLeo suggested a music video, and Jackson hired John Landis after seeing his film An American Werewolf in London. Landis aimed to create a theatrical short on 35mm film with a budget of $900,000 (final cost $500,000), funded partly by Showtime and MTV. Rick Baker designed the werecat makeup, rejecting a werewolf idea to avoid repeating An American Werewolf in London. Deborah Nadoolman Landis designed Jackson's red jacket to contrast with the night setting. Filming took place at the Palace Theater, Union Pacific Avenue for the zombie scene, and 1345 Carroll Avenue for the house scene. Michael Peters choreographed the dance. A making-of documentary was produced to sell on VHS, becoming the best-selling tape of its time.

Did You Know?

• The zombie dance sequence was inspired by Night of the Living Dead (1968) and captures feelings of claustrophobia essential to zombie films.
• Deborah Nadoolman, John Landis's wife, designed Jackson's iconic red jacket and used red for visual contrast; Jackson's jeans were black, not red.
• The video reached one billion views on YouTube in October 2021.
• In 2009, the video became the first music video inducted into the US National Film Registry.
• Jennifer Beals turned down an offer to play Jackson's girlfriend before Ola Ray was cast.