CONVENTIONS OF THE THRILLER FILM GENRE

Since our final task is to create a thriller film opening, it would only make sense to ask myself - what really is a thriller?

A thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, gaming and TV. It also involves numerous, overlapping sub genres. The whole point of a thriller is to create anticipation and suspense, keeping the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. Usually, the protagonist is set against a 'mystery' and and no matter what the sub genre is, it will emphasise the danger that the protagonist may face during their mission. 

Some sub genres of a thriller and an example of them are:

• Action thrillers - Die Hard & The Bourne Identity
• Sci Fi thrillers - Inception & District 9
• Spy thrillers - James Bond 
• Religious thrillers - The Da Vinci Code & The Ninth Gate 
• Supernatural thrillers - The Conjuring & The Sixth Sense
• Crime thrillers - Jagged Edge & The Usual Suspects 

What should we expect to see in a thriller?

Main conventions we should expect to see in a thriller is low key lighting, as it gives a dark and uneasy atmosphere. Low key lighting also creates shadows which can show darkness in a character and add tension. Then there are flashbacks, which cause time and space orientation for the audience, building suspense.

Characters in thrillers are generally mysterious and quite hidden. They are often isolated from the outside world and come across strange and unstable, however, from the outside the characters appear to be 'normal'.