By Andrew Watson

Codes and Conventions

Psycho, 1960

Misery, 1990

Cape Fear, 1991

The Shining, 1980

Shutter Island, 2010

Fight Club, 1999

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

Split, 2016

The Sixth Sense, 1999

Rear Window, 1954

American Psycho, 2000

Black Swan, 2010

Gone Girl, 2014

The Machinist, 2004

Get Out, 2017

10 Cloverfield Lane, 2016

Phone Booth, 2003

What Lies Beneath, 2000

Inception, 2010

Seven, 1995

Prisoners, 2013

A Cure for Wellness, 2016

Memento, 2000

Zodiac, 2007

Sicario, 2015

North by Northwest, 1959

No Country for Old Men, 2007

Examples of thrillers:

SUB-GENRES OF THRILLERS:

Psychological Thriller: Psychological thrillers are thrillers in which the main character is in a battle with themself, generally in a disillusioned state and are told or shown information through their own distorted perspective. Psychological Thrillers generally involve some sort of horror element involving visions and hallucinations, as well as relationships being destroyed throughout the film.

An example of this is Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, set in the world of New York City ballet. The main character, Nina, who suffers from O.C.D and schizophrenia, finds herself locked in a competition with rival ballet dancer Odile. This is the catalyst for the plot which isn’t so much about the physical side of ballet but the mental side of it and how the rivalry between the two characters affects their minds. The line between what is real and what is an allusion is often blurred and creates a sense of unease for the audience.

Crime thriller:Developed when an investigation or mystery is occuring, the plot generally involves a Detective/police officer or a citizen witnessing something mysterious or out of the ordinary happening around them. Something draws them in and soon they become involved with a dangerous situation where they are usually threatened or attacked physically and mentally by one or more antagonist.

An example of a crime thriller is Sicario, from director Denis Villeneuve. While it blends some elements of an action thriller, it is primarily based around crime, with the plot centering on a group of military related characters who become involved with the mexican drug cartel.

Action thriller:An Action Thriller uses physical action to create tension in the film. Like a traditional action film, this subgenre will often have continuous motion and action including fight scenes, car chases, and scenes where characters are physically in action in some way. Often, these scenes will depict danger in the audience's mind and create suspense for what's happening to the protagonist.

An example of this is Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’. The plot revolves around a group of characters trying to achieve ‘Inception’, which is planting an idea in someone’s mind. To do this they must not only mentally go into someone’s mind, but face physical obstacles too, such as in the hallway fight, which is where the action aspect of the thriller comes in. The action helps to drive the plot forward and is integral to the overall narrative, something vital for an action thriller to have.

Horror Thriller: The horror and thriller genres are often interchangeable, both intended to thrill audiences, just in slightly different ways, with the two genres often merging together. A thriller is usually concerned with making the the audience question their own thoughts and ideas, whereas a horror will usually display a visual that evokes an immediate reaction. The horror thriller sub-genre combines these two ideas into a very effective film. Horror thrillers focus on anticipation of the horror rather than showing how the characters are going to escape it, creating a buildup of fear for the audience, resulting in far more tension than a standard horror film.

An example of this genre is the film ‘IT’, from 2017. The plot is centred around a group of kids growing up in a small american town in the 1980s. They discover a supernatural entity who takes the form of what they fear most, most often being seen as a clown. Suspense is built up by only having small scenes showing the entity, known as Pennywise, until the end where the suspense pays off and he is fully revealed to us and the main characters for a long period of time.

Themes and Narrative – What are some themes dealt with in thrillers? What types of stories are told in thrillers?

Throughout the entire thriller genre there are a number of themes that commonly appear in a multitude of films. The theme of guilt is one of these themes. Because thrillers feature characters in conflict, guilt is often used as a motivator, trait, or weakness for characters. Like many other themes present, it is a core human quality, which deepens characters and makes them feel more realistic. An example of a film where guilt is a core part of the story is Shutter Island, from director Martin Scorsese. The main character of Teddy Daniels comes to terms throughout the film with the fact that he is actually Andrew Laeddis and killed his wife after she murdered their three children. Because of his guilt he creates an elaborate story in his mind that gives him a new identity and convinces himself that he never killed his wife.

This example also ties into another theme often dealt with in thriller films, which is paranoia. The plot of thrillers are often very deeply layered, and have many elements occurring concurrently. This leaves the characters trapped in the midst of the events happening around them, which has an impact on them psychologically. The theme of paranoia revolves around questions relating to characters questioning who they are, what is going on, why certain things are happening, as well as them being constantly afraid or anxious that something terrible is going to happen. This theme is not only present in Shutter Island, but also director David Fincher’s film Zodiac. Throughout the story the character of Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, becomes increasingly involved in the mystery of the Zodiac killer, specifically with finding out who it is. His paranoia leads to his family leaving him, as well as finding himself in some terrifying situations, such as when he is in the house of the person who we as the audience believe could potentially be the Zodiac at that point in the film.

Audience – What is the purpose of the thriller genre? What can the audience expect to see in a thriller film? Who

is the target audience of a thriller film?

A thriller will usually demonstrates a sudden disturbance in equilibrium between the protagonist and antagonist. A genuine thriller usually pursues a single-minded goal where the character relies on their mental resources and often times the enemies are not external but internal. This may include feelings of phobias, insanity, urges, feelings and fears. Even when the enemies are other characters, the conflicts are usually played out through deception and distorted reality, as well as a constant attempt to destroy one’s mental equilibrium, as opposed to the violence of physical action in classic thrillers.

Various key elements are utilised in thrillers in order to produce the desired effect within the genre evoking senses of excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and tension. The emotional and mental developments of characters in a psychological thriller must always be somewhat plausible and believable, even when they are outrageous. An audience can expect any number of illusions, twists, and turns involving the above.

The target audience for a thriller is usually 18+ adult males. This is because they may contain disturbing characters with psychological issues. This alone may be a problem for younger audiences because this could cause nightmares and cause them to be very scared for a longer period of time. Because of this, the thriller genre as a whole is often aimed at more adult audiences and thus the storylines are usually more mature in nature and often require more thought than other genres.

Characterization and Representation – discuss the character archetypes you see in thriller. How are they

represented?

1.

The characters presented in thriller films are most often conflicted people who are psychologically broken in some way. Often, the line is blurred between good and evil in these characters, with someone who is, for example, a police officer, really being no better than a criminal. While thrillers are aimed at creating suspense and tension in a riveting story, the characters are at the centre of all of it, with their attributes, struggles, mistakes, and successes determining the plot of the film.

Some specific character archetypes included in thrillers are criminals, police officers, everyday people who get caught up in terrible situations, people trying to hide their dark past, or completely insane, psychotic people. In terms of representation, if these characters are the protagonist, they are presented as being relatable to the target demographic of the film. For example, in the film Se7en, directed by David Fincher, the protagonists are two men, one older and one younger. This appeals to the primary audience of a thriller about a serial killer, which is males ranging from roughly 18 all the way to around 60, and makes the audience care more about the characters as they could potentially see themselves in the protagonist’s position.

In thrillers, the antagonist is often shown in a mysterious way. Like the protagonist, the line is often blurred between who is good and who is bad, making the antagonist on the same level as the protagonist, creating a more personal story. However, there are also films where the antagonist is clearly evil and so psychotic that they have a major effect on the protagonist. In these thrillers, this is what drives the story forward, as it provides a motivation for the protagonist. Depending on the type of archetype the antagonist is, representation varies wildly. If the antagonist operates in a moral grey area, they are often shown as being relatable, so the audience cares for them just as much as the protagonist, creating a more conflicted story, however if they are shown to be purely evil they don’t necessarily have to relatable for a specific group of people, and therefore can have a wide range of ways in which they are represented.

Thriller Codes and Conventions: Mise-en-scene – Pick a scene from a thriller film and discuss the mise-en-scene.

This scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ is full of many elements that effectively make up the mise-en-scene. In regards to lighting, the scene, while still lit like a normal room, is filled with shadows, specifically surrounding Norman and the stuffed birds. This not only makes the scene itself more atmospheric and moody, but also establishes Norman as someone with a dark side. As well as this, the shadows cast by the birds show their connection to Norman. The ones that are framed in the same shot as him have their wings raised, as if ready to attack, showing an aggressive side of his character. By comparison, Marion doesn’t have any large birds near her, only a few small ones, who look peaceful and not aggressive at all. This shows that, despite everything we have learned about Marian up to this point, she is still an innocent, good person at heart. This is further shown by her clothing choices, which are light, but are covered in some shadow, showing the slightly darker side to her, similar to Norman but not to the same extent.

The cinematography of the scene also helps to add depth to this part of the film. The angles are very simple, mostly keeping the focus solely on the two characters talking, signifying this scene’s importance to them and the overall plot, with most of the scene being comprised of medium shots. However, when Norman begins talking about his mother, the camera angle changes, showing not only him but also the dark, aggressive stuffed birds in the background. The low angle here signifies that he now has power in this scene, and we feel more threatened by him as a result.

Symbols and Motifs – Discuss the use of symbolism in thrillers. Bring in your evidence from films viewed.

Symbolism is a major part of most Thrillers, whether they are psychological, action, or horror. It adds another layer of depth to the narrative and builds upon the surface storyline to make the film more complex. An example of symbolism being used effectively is the film ‘Prisoners’. Throughout the plot, a number of different symbols are used to add depth to the story and the characters, giving the viewer more to think about as they are watching the film and represent aspects that can be further developed through metaphorical imagery.

Throughout Prisoners there is also a strong motif of religion. Keller is a religious character who is very strict but does everything for the wellbeing of his family. When his daughter disappears he resorts to brutal methods to try and work out where she is, despite the advice of Detective Loki. Keller’s wooden cross appears multiple times throughout the film hanging from the rear view mirror in his car. At the beginning it is straight, representing how he is clear in his beliefs, however after his daughter disappears the cross is shown to be shaking with the movement of the car and is no longer facing straight towards the camera, representing how his faith is being tested. His entire arc is about him coming to terms with what is happening and not losing his faith. This leads on to how Detective Loki is portrayed as an almost Biblical figure, who, after Keller prays for help and redemption near the end, seemingly appears to help him. The character’s tattoos and ring also have spiritual significance, as they are from a number of different religions and beliefs.

One major use of imagery in Prisoners is the idea of the maze. It appears in different forms all through the film, such as on a necklace worn by a corpse, and a series of drawings by a mentally unhinged character. Detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is constantly trying to figure out the meaning of the maze and how it connects different elements of the story together. Whilst the maze is arguably the main plot device used to move the story forward, it also represents a psychological maze that the main characters, especially Detective Loki, must solve to achieve their goals. As Hugh Jackman’s character, Keller, develops in the film, he seemingly becomes more lost in his own mental maze, whilst Loki is trying to not only help Keller escape from it but also figure out the meaning behind it and what is at the metaphorical end of it.