EXPLORING THRILLER

MOVIES

GENRE IS THE CLASSIFICATION OF THINGS

ACCORDING TO THEIR SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS.

EACH DISSIMILAR GENRE HAS SEPARATE CODES

AND CONVENTIONS THAT ALLOW US TO

DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THEIR CATEGORIZATION.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS IN FILMS

Codes are systems of signs that create meaning and

can be divided into two categories – technical and

symbolic:

•Technical codes - the camerawork in a film.

•Symbolic codes- show what is beneath the surface of

what we see: a character's actions show us how the

character is feeling.

Conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing

something.

Codes and conventions are used together in any study

of genre – it is not enough to discuss a technical code

used such as camera work, without saying how it is

conventionally used in a genre.

For example, the technical code of lighting is used in

some way in all film genres. It is a convention of the

horror genre that side and back lighting is used to create

mystery and suspense – an

integral part of any horror movie.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF THRILLERS

Thematic Elements

Thriller movies are meant to be enigmatic, tension-

creating and exciting.

They promote moods, e.g. a high level of

anticipation, adrenaline rush, arousal, uncertainty,

anxiety, ultra-heightened expectation, and

sometimes even terror.

The tones in thrillers are usually gritty, slick and

lurid.

NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

Thrillers have literary devices like plot twists, red

herrings and cliff-hangers.

They usually show society as a corrupted and

dangerous place that has violence, crime and

murder: a menacing atmosphere.

However, they often feature happy endings where

the antagonist(s) are either killed or arrested.

TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

The thriller genre usually have quick cuts, elliptical

(invisible) editing, change in camera angels.

The music are often those that creates tension but

again, it depends on which sub-genre the movie lies

in.

Also, the lighting (especially the use of shadows),

mirrors, flashbacks, fight/chase scenes, twists,

surprises and stairs is a vital component.

The primary subgenres of thrillers are: mystery, crime

and psychological thrillers and each of them has its

own characteristics and methods though some of the

conventions mentioned in the previous slides are

common to all.

In crime thrillers, there are mainly ransoms,

captivities, heists, revenge, kidnappings.

In mystery thrillers, there are investigations and

elements such as conspiracy theories, false

accusations, paranoia.

Paranoid thrillers also have the above elements and

sometimes action are found in them too.

Common elements in psychological thrillers are mind

games, psychological themes, stalking,

confinement/deathtraps, horror-of-personality and

obsession.

TOP RATED THRILLERSThe Godfather

The Silence of the Lambs

Memento

Pulp Fiction

Inception

Rear Window

Psycho