Analysis of the conventions of the Thriller genre

In thrillers there are many codes and conventions involved to make them believable. I have analysed the different conventions used.


A build up to the action - In the opening scene of any successful thriller the build up to the action starts immediately. To be successful the first 2 minutes of the film has to entice the audience by building suspense, making them want to watch more.

Creation of fear - Fear is created in a thriller by giving the audience a sense of anticipation or an unsettling feeling. This is often created by confusion or doubt over a characters true motives or can be created by unsettling music.

Dark Shadowy Atmosphere - A dark shadowy atmosphere can really add to the creation of fear. Film makers usually choose natural lighting to make it more believable and they subtley try to include typical thriller colours such as red, black and white to add to the atmosphere.

Delay in showing the face of a character - In thrillers the face of the villain is usually hidden to build up suspense. Not seeing who the villain is always makes the audience want to keep watching so they can find out who it is in the end.

Music - Eerie music can add to the suspense of a thriller. Music used in the right way can really play on the viewers emotions, whether it be fast, slow, loud or quiet all music has an effect.

Murder encouraging a suspecting audience - In the opening sequence of a thriller, clues should be put in to make people suspect something bad is going to happen. This will make the audience want to keep watching and find out what is going to happen.

Realistic setting - A realistic setting will make the audience feel uneasy as it shows something unusual, and sometimes scary, happening in a normal every day place. Whether it be in a home, a park, a shopping center etc. the audience will be able to identify with it and make them think this could happen to them, making the film feel more realistic.

Flashbacks - Flashbacks tell us something about the characters past that we did not know before, or can be used when a character cannot remember their past and are trying to recall certain events. They are widely used in thrillers and are usually set in a sepia or black and white tone, sometimes even blurred.

Hero/Heroine in threat or struggle - When the hero or heroine is in threat or struggle it makes the audience anxious and keeps them on the edge of their seats. As the audience has been following the hero and heroine throughout the film they have formed a sort of attachment to them, so if anything happens to the hero or heroine it can really play on the audience's emotions.

Twists and turns - Twists and turns keep the audience engaged in the film and on the edge of their seats. Placing many twists and turns in a thriller makes it more exciting and makes the audience want to keep watching to see what happens next.

Keeping the audience on the edge of their seats - This is very important in a thriller, because thrillers are all about making the audience think. If they knew exactly what was going to happen next it would not be challenging and it would most likely lose the audiences interest. Most conventions are used to keep the audience on the edge of their seats because without suspense you do not have a thriller.