P1 Genre research

Genre research


Conventions of the thriller genre

The aim of a thriller genre is to create suspense and excitement for the audience. As a result, violence is often a key theme within thriller films. Movies typically begin with equilibrium and through the course of the film, the equilibrium is disrupted and then restored by the protagonist. Thrillers usually have an unjust society which the protagonist works against. In terms of the visual representation that is often identified in thrillers, there is often an antagonist who wears dark or black clothing to conceal themselves and foreshadow a troubling event, blood and violence which are committed through guns, knives and weapons, low-key lighting to create an atmosphere of suspense or gloom, a dark colour palette, isolated places like an alleyway and proxemics which simulate claustrophobia. The shot types range from tilt shots or otherwise disorienting angles and shots to create discomfort in the viewer. There could be uncomfortably extreme close-ups of the protagonist as an intimate and informal way of relating to them, and high angle shots to show a character's dominance over another character; usually the antagonist over the protagonist. Sound usually includes elements of silence, heightened diegetic sounds such as door-creaking, slow or eerie music to create suspense and uncertainty, and a slow tempo.