Thriller Films

Characters

Thriller films use suspense, tension and excitement as their main elements. The tension usually arises when the main protagonist is placed in a life or death situation. Thriller plots involve characters who are in conflict with each other or outside forces and the menace is usually mysterious and dark. Themes of thrillers include terrorism, crime, political conspiracy, pursuit and romantic triangles which lead to murder,

• The Protagonist is the male Hero is focus your attention on, fear for their life and they are relatable and likable e.g. 'Sherlock Holmes'
• The Damsel in distress is wrapped up in danger and needs to be saved by the hero e.g. Evey from 'V for Vendetta'
• The Antagonist is usually skillful, smart and in some cases psychologically disturbed e.g. Le Chiffre in 'Casino Royale' 

Mise-En-Scene

• The lighting in thriller films is usually dark and mysterious 
• The props vary from weapons in Crime Thrillers and everyday house hold objects in Psychological Thrillers
• The sound in Thriller films vary from diegetic sounds (such as police car sirens, traffic and sudden loud bangs) to non-diegetic sounds (such as suspenseful music and orchestral screeches)
• Costumes are not specific in Thriller films as they range from Police or army uniforms in Action-Thrillers and common everyday wear in Psychological-Thrillers
• The shots used are wide shots for action scenes, extreme close ups for suspense and dutch angle shots to create confusion and uneasiness
• The emotions created by thriller films are meant to be mixed: fear/anxiety, excitement, nervous etc. 

Narrative

• The beginning of a Thriller film usually introduces the main characters and we are given general information about them and their life (e.g personality, family, where they live/work). We also find out what the initial problem is that the protagonist causes or is pulled into. Mystery can be involved and the audience begins to feel excited to solve it. You are also introduced to any people who could be dangerous or suspects so the audience becomes interested to find out the result of the film.
• The middle of the film is when the protagonist begins to solve the problem and the film reaches it's climax. This is when the audience is on the edge of their seat with excitement and they feel tense. Sometimes the character solving the problem can cause other mini problems which need solving before the films ending.
• The end of the film is where all the questions are answered and antagonists are revealed (if they were a mystery). However at the end of some Thriller films, particularly crime/psychological/supernatural, some questions are unanswered and it ends with a cliff hanger.

Genres

• Sub genre means a genre within a genre, for example a 'Psychological-horror'/'Comedy-horror' etc.
• A Hybrid genre is two different genres mixed together e.g. 'Romantic-comedy'

Sub Genres of Thriller Films

• Action Thriller films are full of faced paced editing and pyrotechnics, action (like car chases, fight scenes and stunts), danger (usually the protagonists life) and the plots usually have a twist. The films usually involve hero's and villains.The music is faced paced and dramatic to match the action and keep the audience excited and involved. Extreme close ups are common because they show how tense/angry/fearful the character is. An example would be 'The Bourne Identity' 

• Crime Thriller films are usually about serial killers, terrorists, murders, kidnappings or stolen goods. They always involve a protagonist and an antagonist and police are always at the scene for investigation. Crime-thrillers usually create an enigma so that the audience are interested and eager to solve the crime. They involve action scenes (such as car chases) so cross cuts and wide shots are commonly used. An example would be 'The Bone Collector'
• Film Noir films are always black and white and were most popular in the 1950's. The films always involve a hero or an anti-hero who is either wrapped up in crime/gangster crime or is an everyday person who accidentally becomes involved in crime or morally wrong situations. A femme fatale is also always in film noir. Femme Fatale means 'fatal woman' and this character is usually beautiful, provocative and gets the protagonist involved in bad situations. Flashbacks are commonly used as well as dutch angle shots. An example would be 'The Asphalt Jungle'

• Psychological Thriller films are always meant to keep the audience involved and asking questions. Dutch angle shots are commonly used because these can confuse the audience and non-diegetic music compliments the unnatural aspects of the films. The plot is usually very twisting and they are always dramatic, full of mystery and usually have a shocking ending. An example would be 'Taxi Driver'
• Sci-fi Thriller films are full of unnatural things. The shots are dutch angle, birds eye or very low angle because these are positions that confuse and are unnatural for humans. The usual theme for Sci-f thrillers are Aliens or other-worldly areas of land which the characters explore. Either way, the audience is always kept on the edge of their seat and the unnatural aspects allow the films to be shocking because in theory, anything could happen. An example would be 'District 9'

• Religious Thriller films have themes of the devil, demons and ghosts. Many of the films involve the church (Nuns and priests) and people who refuse to believe in either God of the Devil. However some religious-thriller films are about religious artifacts which need to be found or protected. Since these films are also have unnatural themes, birds eye and dutch angle shots are used and religious music is featured. An example would be 'The Da Vinci Code' or 'Rosemary's Baby'
• Paranormal Thriller films can be about ghosts, demons and supernatural occurrences. Sometimes a handheld camera is used by the protagonist which increases suspense and the audiences sense of fear. CCTV effects are effectively used and the lighting is commonly dark and sinister. The music is sometimes religious which references God and the Devil but sometimes only diegetic sounds are used to create a realistic feel which increases fear. An example would be 'The Sixth Sense'