Task 1 - Conventions of a thriller
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Mysterious & most likely male
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Most likely be female
Shadows
Quick cuts
Thriller
Antagonist/protagonist
Black & white shots
Clear protagonist
Tension music
Creepy sounds
Low-key lighting
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Screams
Suspense
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Will be okay
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Creaks/footsteps
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Silence
Thriller case studies
Psycho
Psycho is a 1960 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. Although it has been listed as a thriller film, this movie is part of the slasher sub-genre which is a mixture of thriller and horror.
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The reason this film has been placed in the thriller genre instead of the horror genre is because it fits more thriller movie conventions than it does horror. A convention that is followed is the fact that the protagonist is clear and is a women and the antagonist is unknown to the audience until the very end. Another convention that is within the movie is the fact that it is set in an isolated building away from any help, having this in the movie gives the audience more of a scare and makes them feel more worried for the protagonist in this situation.
The only convention that crosses over into the horror genre is that the main protagonist dies in the famous shower scene which wouldn't happen in a thriller movie.
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath is a 2000 psychological thriller movie that is directed by Robert Zemeckis. The reason this film is listed as psychological is because it is to do with ghosts and also plays with the audiences mind as they are watching it. Although this film has ghosts in it, it isn't quite a horror film as it doesn't involve killings as much as a horror movie would.
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This movie has many conventions of a thriller movie as it uses pathetic fallacy by having the weather as nighttime and raining, as well as having the location as in an isolated big house that should be making the protagonists feel safe but they are more vulnerable.
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Although this movie has been labelled as a thriller, there are conventions that cross over into the horror genre, for example, the antagonist is a ghost which is popular in horror movies.
The Pelican Brief
The Pelican Brief is a 1993 conspiracy thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and is based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. Although it has been labelled as a conspiracy thriller, it may also be known as a spy or political as the main protagonist has information she shouldn't.
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The film has many different convention of a conspiracy thriller, these include the fact the antagonist is a mystery and the audience won't find out who is until the end of the movie, so no one knows who to trust whether they are in the movie or watching it.
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A main reason why this film has been considered a conspiracy and not an action is not clearly explained as this movie contains chase sequences in both cars and running on foot, meaning there is no safety.
Seven
Seven is a 1995 American crime thriller movie directed by David Fincher. This is one of the thriller movies that is the closest to being a horror movie as it is about a serial killer.
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The thriller conventions that are used in this movie include the fact the protagonists are both male and aren't in any direct danger, whereas if this was a horror, it would be likely they would die like everyone else. The fact this movie includes a serial killer and shows the death after they have occurred is the only reason why this movie isn't in the horror genre. Just like in both thriller and horror, the serial killer has a motive and in this movie the killer is killing anyone that has done any of the seven deadly sins.
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To some audiences this movie may be considered in the slasher sub-genre of the horror genre as there is use of a serial killer which is more popular in that genre than in a thriller genre.
