Conventions Of A Thriller

For our coursework, our group has decided to make a thriller film. In order to do this, I've researched screenshots from famous thriller films to find the conventions of them.

Inception



The gun gives a sense of danger, as it could result in somebody being killed.

It looks as though a chair/stool has been thrown into the bath in the background, suggesting there’s been a lot of movement (most likely violence) prior to this screenshot.

The lighting is natural, and as it’s filmed inside, this makes it look quite dark for the daytime.

Psycho



The woman is naked, and this makes her appear more vulnerable.

Her screaming face also shows the audience that she’s feeling scared and vulnerable.

In the background, you can see the shadow of a raised hand, which gives the impression of somebody about to stab her, but it’s more of a mystery as you can’t see the real hand.

The Silence Of The Lambs



Contrary to the previous slide, this woman is shown using a high-angle shot, making her look more powerful (which is also unusual in thriller films).

Again, there is a gun involved, which immediately adds a sense of danger.

There is only low-key lighting, which makes it seem more dangerous as you’re less able to see everything that’s going on.

Se7en




The lighting in this screenshot is even more low-key, again making the situation seem more dangerous.

The man on the right has a red stain on his tee shirt, which suggests that someone has been injured badly.

There are three people watching the two men in the background, which gives the impression that they’re always being watched.

Fight Club



Who wrote the writing in the background, and why? This is an example of the enigma code.

The man is looking at something out of shot, but the audience can’t see what. This is an example of the action code.

The lighting is again low-key.

Jaws



The mast has fallen over, leaving the man hanging dangerously over the sea.

There’s a shark’s fin in the background, which also adds to the sense of danger, although it’s not as obvious as the mast.

Yet again, there is an example of guns being used.

Die Hard



The lighting is very low key once again, meaning the audience can’t see the details as clearly.

Again, there is a gun involved, adding the element of danger.

The man is holding the gun and the woman is at the other end of it, making her the victim, typical in thriller films.

Sin City



Although there is no gun in this screenshot, there is a knife, another type of weapon, so the danger is still there.

Yet again, the lighting is very low key.

However, the woman seems to have more power as she is bearing the weapon in this case.

Pulp Fiction



The blood stains on the man on the right’s shirt are a very obvious sign that violence has been going on.

The two men are blocked closely together, making them appear stronger.

They are also both wearing suits, making them appear authoritative, and therefore more powerful.