Genre Research

The 'thriller' genre is commonly known for its dramatic aspect, and its ability to create suspense and provoke a reaction from the viewer when the climax occurs. There is often a protagonist, and an antagonist, that the story bases itself on. Conventionally, the climax is the main part of the film, as this is where the mystery unfolds before the viewers eye. Twists are used to create a sense of tension for the viewer, and also so that nothing is given away before the climax.

In a thriller, the story usually revolves around a lot of flashbacks or flashforwards. The plot is conventionally quite confusing, and it is often very disrupted. This helps to steer the viewer away from the final climax, and prevents predictability.

The story often takes place in dark, gloomy, mysterious locations, that help to add to the suspense of the film. The setting is considered to be a very critical aspect of thriller films as it is important to create an eerie mood for the audience. As well as creating this very specific mood, the setting also helps to create an image for the lead character. If the lead character is a murderer, the setting is often very spacious, but quite secluded at the same time. This can show that the character is very empty minded, but keeps themselves to themselves. Again, creating a nail-biting atmosphere.

The mise-en-scene of a thriller tends to be quite conventional. Costume tends to be plain, and some what grey, and lighting tends to be very dark. Lowkey lighting is used to create the eerieness desired by the director. Again, the use of mise-en-scene helps to create the atmosphere for the viewer.

All of these codes and conventions are seen throughout different types of thriller, whether it be crime-thriller, political-thriller or medical-thriller. They help to allow the audience to distinguish whether the film is a thriller or not, and all in all, makes a thriller what it is.

                                            Examples of Thrillers ^