GENERIC CONVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS

CHARACTERS

Typical characters in psychological thrillers include: Stalkers Innocent individuals Psychotic individuals Characters with dark pasts Cops or police People involved in twisted relationships Prison inmates

LOCATIONS

They are use to provide realism. This however can sometimes be over theatrical and stereotypical of an area or country.

Locations play a very important part in psychological thrillers. The two most common locations in a psychological thriller are

cities and inside buildings, e.g. psychiatric ward.

COSTUME

Costumes in psychological thrillers are generally quite colloquial.

They are meant to surreal themes, this is done by the use of ‘normal clothing.’.

It is also common for the antagonist to dress differently to imply that they are the odd one out.

LIGHTING

Low key lighting is commonly used in psychological thrillers as it creates suspicion and tension.

It can depict a sense of danger and uncertainty. Sometimes it is used to make the audience disturbed by a

character, or the setting.

PROPS

Mirrors are a common prop of psychological thrillers and are used to portray the reflection a characters inner self.

Props are normally a key aspect in psychological thrillers as they normally create clues to the film. This helps keep the audience engaged.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Close up are often used in order to see the victims emotions and possibly any gore.

Tracking shots and steady cams are used to put the audience in the footsteps of a certain character, this depends on the setting of the scene to whether tacking shots or steady cams are used.

EDITING

Flashbacks – a typical convention of psychological as they show what previously happened to give the audience an insight, into a characters past or they highlight a important message that wouldn’t fit the scene.

Black and white – this is used to enhance the effectiveness of shadows.

Obtrusive and montage editing – this is frequently use to highlight the feeling and emotions of suspense and tension. It is mainly used in important scenes.

MUSIC

Sound is used to create tension within a scene. High tension music or eerie sounds are most commonly used. Sometimes to contrast this silence is used.