Research into Psychological thrillers

1. Genre R esearch - Thriller
By Connor O’Brien

2. History Of The Thriller Genre
 In 1926, Alfred Hitchcock, a British director, released his first thriller, “The Lodger”,
silent thriller. These films used techniques that are widely recognised as the codes
and conventions of the thriller genre.
 Hitchcock continued to release suspense-thrillers such as Foreign Correspondent
(1940), Saboteur (1942) and Shadow of a Doubt (1943).
 In 1950, Alfred Hitchcock added technocolor to his thrillers therefore they were no
longer in black and white. He also used women to play leading roles. Some
examples of these films are: Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M For Murder (1954)
and Vertigo (1958).
 In the 1970s thriller films released such as Frenzy (1972) and Don’t Look Now
(1973) began to add codes and conventions such as violence which moved films
closer to the horror genre.

3. 21st Century Thrillers
 Films released in this ere, Eden Lake (2008), Captivity (2007) and Firewall (2006)
moved the thriller genre even closer to the horror genre as more blood, deaths and
gore was used. These films also started to incorporate the codes and conventions
of action movies.
 Plots such as government conspiracy, terrorism and world wise issues were used to
help modernise the genre and attract a young, wider demographic.

4. Psychological Thriller
 Our film 7 Minutes will be represented as a psychological thriller. I will go onto
discuss the conventions (below) of this sub genre:
Storylines
Characters
Setting/Location
Cinematography
Editing
Sound
Iconography
Titles

5. Characters
 A range of different types of characters appear in a psychological thriller. The most
notable types are convicts, criminals, stalkers (e.g. in “One Hour Photo”), assassins
(e.g. in “JFK”), innocent victims, prison inmates, menaced women (e.g. in “Sleeping
with the Enemy”), characters with a dark past (e.g. in “Silence of the Lambs”),
psychotic individuals (e,g, in “The Shining”), terrorist, police, FBI and people
involved in twisted, uncertain relationships (“e.g. “The Fear”).
 The main character in a psychological thriller needs to be characterised with a lot
of mental strength in order to kmow the difference between reality and fantasy.

6. Cinematography
 Bird eye / high angle shots – Make the character being looked down become more
vulnerable
 Close up – Capture the characters emotion which can then be transferred to the
audience.
 Tracking shot / pan – These shots show movement and can be used to show a character
being followed or watched.
 Extreme long shot / long shot – This is used to establish the scene/setting to the
audience therefore the audience are able to envisage the whereabouts of the character.
 Point of view shot – This allows the audience to see the film through the characters eyes
which can increase the emotional attachment between the audience and the character.
 Over the shoulder shot - This is used to build up tension and mystery as it gives the
sense that a character is being followed. This shot can be used around mirrors and
reflections therefore the audience can see what is happening soon as the character
does.

7. Editing
 Fast paced editing is commonly used in psychological thrillers in order to create a
sense of confusion and panic. Fast paced editing can also create fear amongst the
audience.
 Flashbacks are sometimes used in a psychological thriller as the narrative is based
on the thoughts and feelings of the character and their past experiences. This gives
the audience a sense of the characters life and experiences.
 Slow motion may be used occasionally to build suspense and elongate the
audiences anxious feeling. Slow Motion also applies a focus of importance on a
specific event.

8. Sound
 Psychological thrillers sometimes include voiceovers to convey to the audience
what the character is feeling in order for them to feel empathy towards them.
 Diegetic sound is used to portray real things happening in the film, e.g the sound
of heavy breathing if a character is running. This type of diegetic sound can be
used to evoke emotion within the audience, for example this heavy breathing can
cause panic and distress.
 Fluctuation of high and low pitched non-diegetic music that is fast paced is used to
create suspense and tension in the audience. Sometimes the music may start slow
and build up gradually and then an event will suddenly occur at the peak of the
music which instils far into the audience.

9. Mise-en-scene – Settings, Costumes/Props,
Lighting
 Psychological thrillers are often set in an urban area such as a city or town as this
portrays the busy and confused feelings of the character. The noise and rush of an
urban area can lead to a more exciting viewing experience. Psychological thrillers
are used in rural areas as these are more assigned to horror films.
 The protagonist in the film tends to wear normal clothing to create a sense of
realism and allow the audience to be able to relate to them. The antagonist in the
film usually wears dark clothing to represent death, mystery and suspicion. Mirrors
are a main prop used in psychological thrillers in order to portray the reflections of
a characters inner self as well as representing the dark side of the character.
 Low key lighting is usually used in psychological thrillers in order to create
suspicion, confusion and tension.