The Thriller Conventions

Most thrillers revolve around a source of crime and corruption, often using ‘ordinary’ settings, either to create a false sense of security for the audience or to increase the audience’s awareness of the likelihood of the plot. Atmospheric music takes a huge part in the Mise en scene of thriller films, it builds up the tension and suspense and without it a scene could have a completely different feel to it. Thrillers often make use of close or vast, open spaces to create the feeling of claustrophobia and panic. Staircases, corridors and labyrinths are all examples of enclosed spaces which are frequently used in thrillers. Twists and turns of the plot are often used to keep audiences captivates; the film ‘Vertigo’ shows many images of spirals to symbolise the twist of the plot.