Exploration

Definition: thriller
thrill·er (thrĭl'ər)
n. One that thrills, especially a sensational or suspenseful book, story, play, or movie.

I thought suspense was a very key word in this definition, because to me suspense and enigma are the 2 things necessary for a successful thriller

Conventions of most thrillers

• Characters
  Dress: glamorous sexy suits/cocktail dresses dark colours
  Roles/types: ‘Damsel in distress’ – turns brave when is needed / charming/confident – male+female
  Behaviors: Villain – twisted/erratic (stalker etc)
  Characteristics: courageous charming sexy

• Iconography
  Setting: suburban ‘normal on surface’ isolated/strange places – factories/forests
  Lighting: Dim unnatural shafts of light shadows
  Mise-en-scene: Dark Eerie suspense building music frames within frames – windows/binoculars (watching)
  Camera: p.o.v. – villain (audience = guilty) protagonist (audience = empathises) lots of close shots (BCU/CU) – for reactions + emotion
  Colours: red – danger/blood black - enigma blue – eerie/cold (death)
  Props: knives/saws/weapons – pain/death Water (lakes/rivers etc) – suspense + mystery

• Narrative
  P.O.V.: Villain – audience feels dirty guilty Protagonist – audience empathises + is very involved
  Dialogue: Clues/Signifiers – never given all information moves the story along (essential)
  Events: moves story along reveals information (audience can 2nd guess + get involved)
  Structure: beginning – either slow or twist straight away Middle – very mysterious, little info given Ending – fast moving, everything is revealed

• Themes
  Isolation: one particular fear of public which is common in thrillers
  Murder/pain/injury: is the normal aim/goal of villain
  Suspense: as opposed to gore – separates horror + thriller
  Enigma: enthralls audience, essential!
  Lack of Police/Law: ‘taking matters into your own hands’
  Fear: often taps into the current fear of society (e.g. terrorism)
  Courage: characters never knew they had – ‘Damsel in Distress’ frees herself