The Thriller Genre

The Thriller genre is one that revolves around anticipation and suspense, and aims to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist character and an antagonist character which results in a series of events that create tension and suspense leading to the climax. The aim of the protagonist is to restore justice, whilst the antagonist seeks to destroy it.

Some conventions of the genre include:

• Low key lighting

• Quick cuts

• Shadows

• Tension music

• Changes in the angle of shots

• Diegetic sound of breathing

• Black and white shots

• Montage of shots

• Protagonist in the mercy of the Antagonist

Cinematography

Lots of close-ups and extreme close-ups of the protagonist are often    used to show emotions. They can also focus on props to aid the narrative.

The shots of the antagonist will be cut quickly and conceal the character’s identity. For example: a shot of their back, a low key shot or a silhouette/shadow.

Sound

Music is a key element in film as it helps portray the mood and tone of a scene and its characters. In Thriller it adds to the suspense and tension of a significant moment in the film. It will often start at a slow pace and then quicken to make a scene more dramatic for the audience.

Mise en scene

Lighting/Colour:

-Lighting is mainly low key, creating harsh shadows on faces, bodies and props, which helps create a dark, mysterious and sinister atmosphere. Low key lighting is usually used during the more mysterious and sinister scenes, emphasising the suspense and tension, as well as creating an unsettling atmosphere. 

-Colour is a key part of the mise-en-scene in Thrillers, as colours can connote emotions and thoughts. For example black can be used to symbolise death, immediately creating tension and leaving the audience feeling on edge. Red can be associated with blood, again linking in with death. Overall the colour and lighting link together, helping to create an appropriate mood. The characters being in dark colours can suggest that they are evil, killers etc. A dark setting can help to mask the characters and their actions as well, adding to the air of mystery. 

Costumes:

-The use of costume within Thrillers is important because this deems how the characters are perceived by the audience. Due to this, the style of social realism is often used to make the characters more believable to the audience. Typically in Thrillers the antagonist will wear dark clothes to enhance the mystery that surrounds them and show that they are dangerous.

Setting/Props:

-Examples of typical Thriller settings include dark alleys or an urban city. Usually only a small range of colours will be used in the setting, these predominately being blacks and greys. This can be used to show how normal and plain life is, contrasting with the villains in the film as they create a dramatic and fearful atmosphere.

-In Thriller films props can often aid the narrative, by revealing the identity of characters for example. A range of different props are used, but weapons such as knives and guns are predominately used to reinforce the violence and fear factor.