Common Thriller Conventions

Thriller : Thrillers are essentially about the battle of justice vs. injustice where often there is a price to be paid for the conclusion of the story. A thriller is a film of suspense with a plot structure that reinforces the elements of gamesmanship and the chase. Thrillers can be spy based, tales of geopolitical crisis, legal thrillers, medical thrillers, technothrillers or domestic thrillers. Commonly thrillers progress with a growing sense of threat or danger and the excitement of pursuit. The established Conventions Of a Thriller Film :

Narrative

Thriller films are normally shown from two charachter points of view. The first being that of the protagonist, which involves the audience more in events and creates empathy for the charachter. Or the story is occasionaly told from the view of the villain, which can lead to empathy for the villain also at their twisted understanding or peraps disturbiing past that has led to the present. Although it can also create a sense of guilt. Lastly thought the story can aslo be told from the point of view of an onlooker, detatching the audinece from events so they perhaps are more observent.

Events in the storyline enable the film to progress, and allow the audience to second guess what will happen next. In many films this will be wrong so adds to suspense.
The dialogue in thrillers never contains a complete explanation of events or plot, to give it pace, and maintain the mystery, which is essential in building up suspense.


Characters

Charachter Dress Code: Commonly charchters appear smartly and well dressed with dark colours in spy based thrillers eg: James Bond. However dress codes differ depending on the context of the plot, for example in Running scared, the protagonist Joey Gazelle is not smartly dressed, but is casualy dressed, in non expensive clothing. Similar to dress codes for an action thriller like Die Hard for which Bruce Willis wears casual, masculine clothing, which helps empower his charachters appearance. Gangster thrillers almost always have sharp, smart suits. Where as dress codes for Slasher thrillers especially for female charachters is sexy, or revaling.

Charachter Parts: Often in thriller films, there is one charachter who plays the role of a helpless innocent female in need of rescue. Who does however become brave when her help is needed and often aids or saves the male hero/protagonist. There is therefore normally a male hero who battles the injustice and ultimately aims to defeat the residing evil of the situation to allow good to prosper. The residing evil in thriller films can be a vast majority of charachters from a monster to a twisted boy next door. There are however some common charchterisitcs which include solituryness, revenge, anger, or a skewed view on events, as well as distorted social skills and understanding.


Iconography

Setting: Can be urban, isolated surbuban settings, cities or quiet country villages.
Mise-en-scene: Normally dim lighting hiding parts to a charachter, large threatening weapons for props e.g. large knives, guns etc. Camera shots are normally point of view shots, frames within frames, or close ups. Often ther is also alot of camera movement. Colours are also used to signify different emotions like red connates blood or danger, blue cold mystery or death.



Themes

Themes are commonly based around societes current fears and worries. They may be isolation, entrapment, murder, pain or terrorism.