Thriller genre/ Generic conventions

What is a thriller?

The thriller genre aims to keep audiences captivated and on the edge of their seats ready for the next twist or turn within the plot line. In summary, the main elements to the thriller genre are suspense and tension allowing audiences to anticipate what's going to happen next and surprise them along the way. The genre can be split into many sub genres, which all contain the same elements but rely on a different theme or setting. For example,  psychological thriller's focus on the battle between the main characters mental and emotional state as apposed to the conflict between a real antagonistic entity such as a stalker or gang member.

An example would be 'The Beach', in which the characters become so fixated on living a fun and care free life in new found paradise that they go to inhumane lengths to ensure nothing will spoil  their enjoyment.

    

Generic conventions:

Lighting - Noir lighting is the most commonly used style within classic and some times present thrillers. This type of lighting usually portrays a chiaroscuro effect by using non-ambient light sources. For example, 'A Clockwork Orange', although more of a crime/drama movie uses noir lighting with a futuristic twist. This type of lighting is effective as it adds suspense and portrays characters as more of a dark threat, thus keeping audiences engaged and more captivated.

     

Locations - Generic locations portrayed within the thriller genre tend to indicate claustrophobic spaces, this being in the way that victims are trapped and more vulnerable to an antagonistic character. For example, the scene in British hit man thriller 'Kill List'  where Jay and Gal are escaping from pursuers through an underground tunnel system. Enclosed locations generate more suspense and tension because the use of them infers that there is no escape for the character and we can only anticipate that something bad is going to happen.



Femme Fatale - A commonly used character in the thriller genre is the femme fatale (The fatal female). This character is very typical within thriller films and most traditionally represents deviant women who are controlled by violent partners, punished or killed off. For example, the character of Marion Crane in 'Psycho' portrays an attractive yet rather corrupt young women who ends up being killed off throughout the movie. The femme fatale character presents the audience with wonder and mystery, this is as we know they are trouble or will end up in a mess. 

Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in 'Psycho'

However, in some more modern films the representation of the femme fatale is a strong women who proceeds to stand up for herself, survive and fight back against others. For example, Pam Grier's role in 'Jackie Brown' sees a strong female character in a battle against an arms leader in order to assist the police force. The stronger representation of the femme fatale provides a positive twist on the classic portrayal, this is as it depicts women as being fearless and fully capable of fighting their own battles.