Key
Conventions of the Thriller Genre
There are many traits to Thriller films that are
traditionally used in the majority of Thrillers today, which usually consist of
a protagonist and antagonist in battle, or having a fight of power in the movie
until one overpowers the other and therefore succeeds with their intentions.
The protagonist fights for the greater good, and always disrupts the plans of
the antagonist, and of course vice-versa.
In between all the battles the two main characters have,
there is a big climax and many scenes of tension to throw the viewer off,
leaving that sense of unpredictability to the storyline.
Music and editing are key features of the tension-filled and
climactic storyline, with very dramatic and quick music to signify a lack of
time for the protagonist possibly, just to show that the characters are under
pressure, effectively passing that on to the viewer. Also, changes in the angle
of the shots taken create an atmosphere of obscurity, using the camera to
portray that confusion the character is in to the viewer.
Cross cutting is often used too, to pack plenty of
information in and to ensure the viewer understands whilst simultaneously
creating further tension and suspense within the plot.
There are usually scenes where the protagonist is held in
danger by the antagonist, to which they have to form an ingenious way of
escaping from the trap or ambush that was set for them; this links to the
location too, as the location of all these events have to link to a theme. If
the antagonist traps the protagonist, the scene must be barren and empty to
show the viewer that the protagonist is alone isolated and must find his or her
own way out.
All of these conventions link back to the theme of tension
and suspense, as well as a trace of isolation in many popular Thriller films.
They create the mood and set the scene constantly making sure that the viewers
are on the edge of their seat, the camera work, sound, editing, body language
of characters and of course the setting all work together to create the themes
commonly found in the most popular of Thrillers.
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