What are the generic conventions of a thriller film?

Thrillers have some predictable qualities, such as the location of the movie, the characters and the plot.

 ;normally creates suspense and creates a gloomy atmosphere to the film as they are often based in remote, isolated and dark places.

I have learnt by researching that locations for thriller films are chosen to play on the audiences fears. For example, old haunted houses and remote forests as these locations play on common fears of ghosts and being alone away from any help, and therefore are good locations to alert and scare the audience.

although they can sometimes be predicted, thriller films never become boring because the plots are complicated, intellectually engaging, nuanced and layered plots. – Research from www.mathewdunnbooks.com

Therefore, the audience should expect the plot to not make sense at first and eventually start to understand what’s going on as the storyline starts to become clear. This adds to the shock and the thrill of the movie.

common thriller characters:

• Criminals
• Stalkers
• Assassins
• Innocent victims who are in danger
• Characters with deep dark pasts
• Psychotic individuals
• Spree killers
• Sociopaths
• Agents
• Terrorists
• Cops
• Escaped prisoners
• And many more.

 

These are the common characters because they are associated with crime, harm and action, which make an interesting and thrilling thriller.

 

When opting to watch a thriller, we are craving the thrill of feeling apprehensive, uncertain, tense, anxious, excited, jumpy and on the edge of the seat for the most of the film.  “Thrillers tend to be psychological, threatening, mysterious and at times involve larger-scale villainy such as espionage, terrorism and conspiracy”(-Wikipedia). Therefore, the audience should expect to have their mouths and eyes wide open and to be thoroughly  hooked on the action for the duration of the film.