Conventions of Thriller
Films
A broad genre of literature, film, gaming and television. It includes
numerous, often overlapping sub-genres
Typical Features
·
Low key lighting
·
Quick cut
·
Shadows
·
Tension music
·
Changes in angle of shot
·
Diegetic sound of breathing
·
Black and white shots
·
Montage of shots
·
Protagonist is at the mercy of the Antagonist
·
Binary oppositions (complete opposites) by Levi Strauss e.g. good vs.
evil, weak vs. powerful, city dweller vs. country dweller, individual vs.
organisation.
·
Cheap surprise (an easy shock generated by a sudden unexpected
noise/action/movement)
·
Make it personal – protagonist’s family is kidnapped etc.
·
Theatre of the mind – doesn’t show the audience everything; force them
to imagine some things.
Ingredients of a thriller
fast-paced, frequent action,
and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and
better-equipped villains.
Literary devices such as
suspense, red-herrings and cliff hangers are used extensively.
Types of thriller
·
Spy thrillers – e.g. James Bond
·
Political thrillers – e.g. Argo
·
Military thrillers – e.g. Saving Private Ryan
·
Conspiracy thrillers – e.g. The Insider
·
Medical thrillers – e.g. Coma
·
Forensic thrillers – e.g. The Bone Collector
·
Psychological thrillers – e.g. Seven
·
Horror thriller – e.g. The Silence of the Lambs
·
Legal thriller - e.g. The Pelican Brief
·
Crime thriller - e.g. No Country for Old Men
·
Supernatural thriller - e.g. Flatliners
Characteristics
Often overlap with mystery
stories but are distinguished by the structure of their plot. Thrillers often
occur on a much grander scale: crimes are more serious.
Standard plot elements
include a sense of jeopardy.
Climax
Example: When hero finally
defeats villain, saving him and others.
Some thrillers are
influenced by film noir and tragedy, the hero can get killed.
Often take place wholly or
partly in exotic or dramatic settings e.g. cities, deserts, churches, airports,
subways, Polar Regions, the woods or high seas.
