Conventions of Thrillers

Introduction

I was tasked with selecting four trailers for Thrillers released in 2021 and to analyse what they have in common and how they relate to the codes and conventions of the genre of Thriller. What I noticed these films had in common was that they all had very fast paced, tense trailers and didn't reveal too much about the story to make people want to watch them. The reason behind why they were so exciting for people to see when they were released was because people wanted to know what the mystery of the thrillers was, therefore audiences will go to see them because of the enigmatic stories.

House of Gucci (24/11/21)

What I found interesting about this movie was the murder plot and how it related to the other films, but also created a sense of fun to the film that the others don't have. The characters are charming and stylish, making them likeable even if they do bad things in the story or hurt other characters. This means the film is more of a comedy-thriller than the others but still retains the mystery and slightly terrifying themes that hook the audience throughout the film.

What I could take away from this film would definitely be the way the villains were presented. A lot of the lighting was very dark, but was used to emphasize the characters' features and costumes, as the reason why they are eye-catching characters is because they are so well dressed. The villains of this film and the ultimate 'thriller' sense here is very different to other films as it is created through lots of close up shots to the villains rather than just creepy imagery; the fear comes from how intimidating the characters are, therefore creating an enigma code for the audience to learn about when watching the film.

Last Night In Soho (29/10/21)

This film had a stereotypical Thriller trailer but still seemed fresh and creative. The trailer revealed quite a lot about the plot and gave away some of the spoilers but the lighting and short shots created a sense of mystery by teasing the audience with as little content as possible to make them want to see it.

What I would take away from this film would definitely be the lighting. The lighting is very colourful and makes the scarier scenes look a lot more dramatic, therefore making the film much more creepy than if this technique wasn't used. I also like the shots with the famous character in the reflection of the mirror to the main character. I think this really shows the divide between the characters and I could use this in my own project to make it very clear to the audience who the villain is in the story and who isn't. The use of the mirror reflection also serves as a huge reveal in the trailer, which I could use to establish characters in my own work. 

Those Who Wish Me Dead (14/5/21)

What this film does well to make people afraid is use real fears people have such as heights or fires to allow the audience to insert themselves into the position of the character, as if those things could happen to them. There's a lot of dark camera shots to emphasize how dark the story is and exaggerate the terrifying themes of the film to the audience.

What I would take away from this film and use in my own work would definitely be the contrast between the natural shots and then the fires and violent scenes. This creates such a clear divide between the scenes that it allows us as the audience to feel worse for the protagonists, as if you know they don't deserve this before you've even watched the film. I could use this by creating shots that are strongly contrasting against more violent scenes, or rather using seemingly calm and normal shots but filming them in a way that makes them seem more violent than they are. For example, I could make characters do everyday activities but make them act more violently to give off the impression that they are scarier than what the audience may think.

Rushed (27/8/21)

What I thought was interesting about this film is that the fear and thriller aspects come from typical ideas such as murder plots and investigations but still seems fresh and enjoyable because of the sense of the unheimlich from the close up still shots. These shots mostly focus on the mother character, meaning you get a clear representation of what she's thinking and really feel her emotion as she looks for her son. 

What I could take away from this film would be the presentation of the character's emotions without them saying anything. This was what Alfred Hitchcock would define as 'pure cinema', with characters showing enough emotion so the audience knows what is going on without them having to tell it explicitly. It also relates to the 'Kuleshov effect', which I looked at in class. This is an effect created in editing which includes an object or event, then cutting back to a character's face to show their emotions and thought process. I would be able to use this in my own work as it works very well without dialogue and really conveys what a character is thinking to the audience (for example: a shot of a building falling then cutting to a character's face would show sadness).

What do these films have in common?

All four of these films tease a lot of mystery by using dark, quick shots to reveal parts of the story that interest the audience, but still maintain a sense of enigmatic suspense that still keeps the audience alert and invested in the story. Thrillers define as a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense, with the audience wanting the story and character to turn out ok, but still face challenges they wouldn't want to face in their lives, but rather view it in fiction. The aim with thrillers is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and I believe that these films all do this - even in the trailers. 

What are their differences?

What makes all of these films unique from each other is their differences in visual styles. Last Night In Soho and House of Gucci both revolve around murder plots but do so with stunning visuals to romanticize the genre; therefore the fear that the audience feels comes from the fact that they don't expect the films to be scary or ugly in any way. This makes them both scary in a way that's different to Rushed and Those Who Wish Me Dead because those films already have a terrifying aesthetic. It's hard to define a thriller because they can all look or feel so different with each story being told or each setting they represent. 

I also think that these films all present their villains and characters differently. Films like 'House of Gucci' and 'Last Night In Soho' make their villains look creepy but also elegant and composed, therefore making them even scarier as they are poised and calm, as if they don't see their dangerous actions as wrong. The other thrillers, 'Rushed' and 'Those Who Wish Me Dead', take a different approach and present their characters as extremely unhinged and on edge for the entirety of the trailer. This is also very effective, as it makes the audience slightly sympathise with the characters and shows their slow decent into madness, a device often used in films. All of these films inspire me and have taught me about how thrillers work as a genre in greater depth, and I will definitely be using their techniques in my own work later.