Thriller Sub-Genre

What are Thrillers?

Thriller conventions

• Crime- people going missing (Gone Girl) 
• Secrets to be revealed: NARRATIVE
• Suspension 
• Enigma- mystery or puzzle: NARRATIVE
• Jump scares (Physical response to a sudden change in sound/images) : TECHNICAL ASPECT
• Emotional Stimulation - fear,anger,confusion: AUDIENCE RESPONSE
• sound effects- to create tension, combination of diegetic and non-diegetic: TECHNICAL ASPECT

when does THRILLER become a HORROR: 

• Gore,Blood 
• Supernatural (?) 
• Lack of mystery- little manipulation of information 

when does THRILLER become a ACTION:

• Little Story
• Excuse for action (set pieces) 

The antagonist ensnares the protagonist in an increasingly complex web, until the protagonist feels isolated and helpless.

The narrative centres upon a crime e.g.. theft, murder 

The protagonist is fallible and has an achilles heal that is exploited 

Themes of identity are common mistaken identity, amnesia doubles/ gangsters 

Themes of seeing, reflection and mirroring- manipulation of perspective 

A series of animus are set up- only to be solved at the end 

The audience is placed in the ambitious position of 'voyeur' 

Protagonist will be in peril/danger 

The narrative present extra-ordinary things in ordinary situations and settings.The micro-element are used to build suspense