Thriller Sub-Genres: Codes & Conventions.

Thriller - Is usually consists of a battle between a protagonist and an antagonist. There is a strong sense of suspension, tension and excitement. When watching a thriller there is a huge level of anticipation that gives viewers an adrenaline rush. Cliff-hangers and plot twists are used combined with low key lighting, shadows, quick cut with montage editing, there is a change of camera angles with tension building music.

Sub-Genres of a Thriller :

Psychological Thriller  - Is a fictional story that focuses on a persons mental health and their unstable emotional state. Psychological thrillers also incorporate elements of action, horror, drama and mystery. Many psychological thrillers are based off books which shows that they must use their mental prowess to overcome their enemy which is themselves (their sanity) verse their mind (dilution). Furthermore many psychological thrillers look into the relationship between obsessive and pathological characters. Themes that the genre explores are reality, identity, perception, the mind and human conscience, with also a strong look into death.  The way that is all conveyed is by the convention used to give thoughts effects. Plot twists are a huge form that is explored as well as the idea of "what is real? and what is not?". Time disorientation is also how effect is given by the use of flash backs and also dreams.  Fast pace editing with frequent changes of camera angels added with quick clusters of montage editing, combined with lighting. A feature of this lighting is low key lighting which creates shadows and helps to form the tense atmosphere that is essential in a thriller. A psychological thriller is normally set in a urban setting, surrounded by a lot of people. This helps to add effect because it makes it relatable to the audience and because of the business of the location the viewer does not know where the danger could come from which adds extra suspense. Mirror's are used a lot throughout psychological thrillers to represent what is on the characters inner self or their "dark side". 

Romantic Thrillers  - Is a meta genre that merges two or more genre together. The plot follows a typical thriller movie with the conventions of tension and excitement but then it also looks at how relationships grow and develop between two or more people. They often look at scandal and intrigue, furthermore they can explore two people trying to find the villain and throughout that fall in love. There is double the amount of suspense created as its being cultivated by how the relationships are developing but also with in the plot and the twists that come along with it. Classic themes that romantic thrillers use are, Characters separate because of argument and the unite at the end of the movie, another one is boy meets girl this is very typical but it is used over and over again because viewers like to see that happy endings do exist. Female characters tend to depend on the male character for protection but then when it comes to the romantic side the roles reverse as woman tend to invest more time than men do. The target audience is so varied in romantic thrillers because of the wide range of production techniques that appeal to so many viewers, the vast contrast between the two genres is also    what makes the audience so varied. 

Disaster Thriller - Is a film that focuses on a catastrophe that can be either man made or by natural forces. The disasters could be situations such as earthquakes and floods, furthermore it could be accidents, like an aeroplane crash or an out break of a deadly disease. There is a natural build up in the intensity of the suspense and tension, they can show the lead up to the event and then the aftermath usually from the point of view of a particular character or a group of characters. In many cases the films are based off true stores that explore one persons perspective on the event and their survival. Conventions that are key in disaster thrillers are technical aspects like low lighting or stormy weather to represent the devastation of the people in the setting.   

Supernatural Thriller - This sub genre brings in other worldly element. When an event that is out of the ordinary happens to the hero and they have to use powers to fix the problem. In this genre there is a mix of tension and suspense and in addition to this there is normally a twist during the movie that shows that the hero or the villain has a super natural gift that helps to find the problem. This sub genre is strongly connected to a religious thriller as there can be forces like demons entering into human bodies or an alien life form appearing as a human.  Key features are low lighting, shadows, point of view camera angels, use of non-diegatic sound to create suspicion and tension. 

Mystery Thriller - This sub-genre has a strong relationship with crime thrillers, as they focus mainly on the efforts of the detective in order to solve the mystery.  It differs from regular mystery by being more fast-paced, the sub-genre looks at the circumstances of mystery/ crime itself in order to try and figure out what the clues are. In the genre the audience take part and try to uncover the crime themselves.  The plot gets into the audiences mind as it compels them to also follow the detective and solve the crimes themselves. This helps to bring more dramatic effect when the mystery/ crime is solved as the audience feels like they have solved it as well. Features that are involved in the films are aspect like low key lighting, quick cuts, shadows, also diegetic sounds e.g breathing. Furthermore the criminal's costumes will be dark if you see them and the protagonist will be in everyday clothing. 

Spy Thriller -  In a normal spy thriller there is typically a hero or group that are against an enemy. The movie will show clearly what the character is facing and there will always be the threat of death to the characters. Plot twists are used to sway the audience and confuse them on what will happen next. The movie will release a small amount of information but not the full story to the viewers, this keeps them questioning what is going on, which increases the suspense and excitement. Traditionally spy thrillers will use flash backs to create a feeling of disorientation or to sometimes give viewers more information. The use of non-diegetic sound gets the audiences adrenaline running and also builds up tension. They can also use silence for dramatic effect in a certain scenes before something is revealed to the audience. The setting and lighting are key in spy thrillers as they are normally set in dark rooms but in normal environments that creates realism. Low key lighting is huge with the use of shadows and back lighting to show the dominance of certain characters. With the camera work in spy thrillers there is use of close ups and extreme close ups to show the facial expressions of characters, also wide shots are used to establish the set or emphasis a character or prop. High angled shots are sometimes used to make a character feel vulnerable or weak.  

Action Thriller -  these are action packed semi realistic story lines that get the audience on the edge of their seats and keep the viewers entertained. The genre has elements of mystery and crime thrillers. Action thrillers are more common in movies than novels because of the visual appeal of explosions and violence. In typical action thriller there is a lot of violence with the use of weapons such as guns, knives, machetes and explosives with the themes of heroes and villains. Furthermore fire is often a theme used along side the explosion. Cars and the theme of a "race against the clock" are generally used with girl charters looking physically appealing and wearing clothes that could be judged as being promiscuous. Large elaborate sets are used and the story line often is set in urban areas. Low lighting is used when the villain is shown coupled with the use of fast pace editing the film is able to keep the audience entertained. 

Religious Thriller - Looks into the history and myths of religion. They uses iconology such as crosses and stained glass which is traditionally found in churches.  It reveals the religious objectives, institution, ceremonies and questions and shows the good and bad sides to religion. Throughout the film it shows how to overcome the bad through the quest of finding out the truth. Many religious thrillers incorporate supernatural experiences exorcism, demon possession. Commonly they have low key lighting with shadows, the use of mirrors, diegetic sound of people/ species breathing.