What makes A Thriller Thrilling?

What makes a thriller thrilling?

1)   Lucy

This is the film Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson, has recently been released in cinemas this year. The first screenshot is an extreme close up of Lucy’s eyes through her transformation. This shot allows the audience to have an up close view of the effect the CPH4 is having. This makes a thriller thrilling as the eerie look through her eyes creates mystery into what is happening to her in the film. The lighting here also highlights her eyes. It also creates a sense of darkness as she is being turned into a new kind of human. In the second screenshot we see a mid shot of the visions she begins to see and at this point we are able to see the full extent of her new powers. There is darkness in the background which is suspicious with the sole lighting aimed at her. Her look is very sophisticated which contrasts a typical thriller film.

The camera shots used in these images represent the mystery the audience will feel seeing this film. The look in Lucy's eyes and the concentration on her face suggest how unordinary and sophisticated thriller films are. By using Lucy's eyes in this first shot the audience gets a sense of what is happening to her body and the process she is going through. Again we can then see that the unordinary symbolises the representation of the thriller genre. The editing in this scene is a zoom out to her whole face in the next shot. The other screenshot  cuts to a shot of Lucy's partner in the car who does not understand what Lucy's experiencing. This jump cut happens very quickly and the pace of the edit is fast. The props used in this film include the car they are travelling in, the CHP4, guns and the memory stick at the end. The sound in this shot is sophisticated and quite fast paced. The lighting in this scene focuses on Lucy's eyes and what she is seeing in the second shot. This highlights what's happening to her and what's going on around her. The setting is in a cell in the first shot and a car in the second. This suggests the danger she is in and that she does not have a lot of time. This also creates tension towards the audience as we also do not know who the killer is.

2)   Gravity

 

 

 

 

This is the film Gravity which was released last year staring Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney).  The first close up screenshot of Dr. Stone is of her face in sheer panic as she has just been hurtled off a shuttle after a debris collision. Here we see her fear and gather the suspension of how she is going to react in the steps to getting back to Earth. The darkness in the background helps to aggrandize the loneliness and fear she is experiencing. The astronaut helmet obviously suggests a space themed thriller. The second screenshot is of the dramatic aftermath of the collision course. The lighting is bright as we can see all of the debris scattered above the earth. This creates a wild and hectic scene which heightens the thrills of this movie and makes the thriller thrilling.

The camera shots used in these images represent the instant and close up tension the audience will get seeing this film. The fear on Dr. Stone's face and the wreckage suggests how alarming and threatening thriller films are.  By using Dr. Stone's facial expression in this first shot the audience gets a sense of how she is trying to escape her fate, and how she is trying to survive. We see that the fear symbolises the representation of the thriller genre. The editing in this scene is jump cuts to part of the wreckage in the next shot. The other screenshot also cuts to a shot of Matt floating in space. This jump cut happens very quickly and again the pace of the edit is fast. The props used in this film is the astronaut helemt, the wreckage, the manual and the ropes. The sound in fast paced and very dramatic. The lighting in this scene focuses on Dr. Stone and the wreckage. This highlights how she is feeling and what's going on around her. The setting is in space in the first shot and in the second. This suggests the danger she is in and the dangers of travelling to space. This also creates tension towards the audience as we also do not know who the killer is.

3)   Silent Hill: Revelation

 

 

 

 

This film is Silent Hill Revelation which was released in 2012 staring Heather (Adelaide Clemens). This film revolves around the complicated and disrupted life of Heather Mason who is being chased by a dark order to end the misery and tedious surroundings of Silent Hill. The first screenshot is of Heather surrounded by a circle of fire. The fire sets the ferocity and excitement of Heathers fate at the end of the film. The tension built off her face in this screenshot accentuates the thrill of the movie and the dramatic tension it causes. The second screenshot is of the Nurses in the operating room. There stiff and jumpy movements in the film create the thrill that wants to make you jump out of your seats. This makes a thriller thrilling because audiences like to be kept in suspense and they enjoy the thrill of excitement.

The camera shots used in these images represent the instant tension the audience will get seeing the film. The fear on Heather's face and the posture of the manikin dolls suggest how unordinary and alarming thriller films are.  By using Heather's facial expression in this shot the audience gets a sense of how she is trying to escape her fate, again we can then see that the fear symbolises the representation of the thriller genre. The editing in this scene is simply of a jump cut to Alessa in the next shot. The other screenshot also cuts to a shot of Heather stood still in silence so she does not get noticed by the manikins. This jump cut happens very quickly and the pace of the edit is fast. The props used in this film are the guns, the pyramids great knife, the key and the torches. The sound in this shot is just of the fire around her and the sound of the creaking manikins in the second shot. The lighting in this scene focuses on Heather and the manikins. This highlights how she is feeling and what's going on around her. The setting is in a theme park in the first shot and a dark operation theatre in the second. This suggests the danger she is in and the horrors of Silent Hill. This also creates tension towards the audience as we also do not know who the killer is.

Conventions of a Thriller Genre

What makes a thriller thrilling?

·         Tension

·         The Unknown

·         Suspense

·         Danger

·         Excitement

·         Mystery

·         Hero

·         Fast Paced

·         Cliff Hangers

·         Action/Violence

Characters

Thriller narratives involve characters who are in conflict with each other or outside forces and the menace is usually mysterious and dark. Themes of thrillers include mystery, crime, revenge, political conspiracy, pursuit which lead to murder. The Protagonist is usually the Hero, they are relatable and likable e.g. 'The Doctor'. The Antagonist is usually smart and cleverer or stronger than the protagonist's. In some cases psychologically disturbed e.g. Claudia Wolf in ‘Silent Hill’.

Mise-en-Scene

Thriller films also have a great deal of props, lighting, mysterious locations and sound. Typically the props in a thriller films would be, badges of law, mobile phones etc. However typically weapons are used by the villains for violence and fear overall, being knives and guns etc. The lighting would be shadowed, some outside lighting, low key lighting highlighting key conventions in the film. The location would normally be in abandoned houses or in dark outdoor places. The sound in thriller films is usually tense and non-diegetic with some diegetic sound. Increasing in speed and volume and nursery rhyme themes work well in thriller films this is because it creates a sense of enigma.

Narrative

The beginning of a thriller narrative usually starts by introducing the main characters. We get given information about them and the location of where the plot will take place. During the beginning we begin to see a problem/situation that the main characters become involved in. In the end this will need resolving, but we will not notice this until the climax of the film. Mystery can be involved at the beginning of a thriller film and the audience begins to feel tension. We are also introduced to any people who could be dangerous or threatening. The middle part of a thriller narrative is the development of the plot. This is when tension begins to build to a point, which the audience will begin to start figuring out the climax of the film. The audience will also realise at this part in the film, that the protagonist has been tricked. Finally the conclusion of the film sees the problem resolved or one of the main characters die. This is usually the antagonist. Some films however do create a cliff hanger which could lead to another film being made.