Codes and Conventions...Thrillers

Thriller:

The Thriller is quite a popular genre of film, but it gets overshadowed by horrors. Thrillers have various sub-genres.

The heroes or main characters in Thrillers are usually "detectives" and become drawn to character which allows them to becomes more easily accessible to danger. The characters are usually police officers, or secret agents etc. However, sometimes the main character is just a normal person who is somehow involved in some sort of investigation. The main character in Thriller movies are usually males, like Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in the popular Thriller Se7en. Yet, nowadays women have beeb given leading roles in Thrillers - like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.

Thrillers are made to thrill - not to scare. But a lot of people get mixed up between horrors and thrillers. Yet the music in thrillers can be the most distinctive way to categorise a thriller from a horror. Thriller non diagetic music is usually more eerie and disturbing than horrors (which are usually more stereotypically scary - screams, cries, etc). Also, sometimes the storyline overlapps or is shown backwards (like Guy Richie films) to conform to the usual conventions that thrillers have more dilemmas/puzzles and suspense scene's.

Thrillers usually consist of the good guy having to defeat the bad guy or the good guy. Assasinations and Terrorism inspire most Thrillers, simply because of the "detective" stereotyped themes. Also, the villain in the Thriller is usually very smart, as in they have a highly interlectual brain, and whatever deaths they cause, they believe it is for a genuine reason - again like in Se7en. Or they could be supernatural nature like in Dracula.

Here's some expected codes and conventions to be in thrillers:


Sound and editing : Involves several different camera angles and quick snaps and changes between shots. Music tends to be full of tension and has a racey sound to go with the action etc.
Lighting - Shadow, mirrors and stairs are mostly used.
Narrative - Normally shown from different characters points of view. Not just one persons view. Normally it is made out so the audience has empathy for one of the characters.
Setting - According to what the story line is based on. Not a particular setting-base.
Mise-en-scene - Dim/dark lighting, (illegal) weapons for props. Camera shots are normally close ups or normal shots. Quite a lot of camera movement.