Codes Conventions of a Thriller Conventions of Thrillers

Codes & Conventions of a Thriller

• Conventions of Thrillers � What are thriller films? The thriller is a broad genre of film. It includes, often overlapping sub-genres i. e. Spy thrillers, Military thrillers, conspiracy thrillers, legal thrillers and psychological thrillers. It also includes hybrid genres such as sci-fi thrillers and horror thrillers. Thrillers are characterized by fast paced and frequent action. Thrillers may be defined by the primary mood they exhibit. In short if it thrills, it’s a thriller. � Thriller Conventions Character roles and types in thrillers: � Psychos � Spies � Thieves � Criminals � Detectives � Vulnerable Victim � Assassins � Soldiers � Convicts

What themes do thrillers deal with? �I think thrillers can deal with many different kinds of themes, examples are things like rape, kidnapping, drugs, gang culture and many others. Thrillers very often involve weapons and deal with the main character wanting something, for example, becoming a gang leader, lead a successful drug organisation or trying to get a loved one back from kidnappers. Other themes can be: �Terrorism �Political conspiracy �Romantic triangles leading to murder �Supernatural events

Narrative in Thrillers �A genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single minded goal – to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the ‘edge of their seats’ as the plot builds towards a climax. �The tension usually arises when the main character’s placed in a threatening situation or mystery, or a dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a potentially deadly situation. �Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or outside forces. Thrillers are similar to horror films, except thrillers use exciting action and tension to engage the audience.

Examples of Thriller Films �The Dark Knight �Taken �Unknown �Inception �Van Helsing �Disturbia �Sixth Sense �Shutter Island �I Am Legend

Conventional Iconography in Thrillers �Extreme settings – Phone Booths, Small Attics, Abandoned Buildings �Places to hide, people can be anonymous �Clues to help mystery �Isolated location – Nowhere to hide, no help �Big cities tend to be unknown territory for the character

Setting �Thrillers often take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, Polar Regions and Seas.