2. COLOURS
The colours used in psychological thrillers are predominantly red, black
and white. Red and black are also closely linked to horror. They
connote danger, violence, blood, evil and mystery. Whereas in horror,
these connotations are often literal, in psychological thrillers these
connotations are often implied. Low-key lighting is often used on the
main subjects to create enigma and mystery. The background is often
dark to emphasise this. It also helps to create an unsettling
atmosphere; building tension.
3. LAYOUT
The majority of thriller posters I have seen have the title near the bottom of the page. The
colour of the title is often red to make it stand out from the rest of the image. The fonts
used within psychological thriller posters are predominantly condensed, clean and thin.
This makes them look professional and also connotes the genre. Many of the posters I’ve
looked at show the most famous cast members in bold at the top of the poster. However
many place the cast at the bottom dependant on where the font stands outmost against
the background. As the majority of viewers will look at the top first I may have my title
at the top of the poster to subvert the conventions and make my film title stand out. As
the film and cast are unknown it would make most sense to promote the film title so
composing the poster with the title at the top could be the most successful arrangement.
4. A preferred reading of a psychological film poster would often be that the
unsettled imagery of the protagonist is due to their mental issues. An
aberrant reading might be that the audience believes that the subject
depicted is in serious danger. There is often very little content within a
psychological thriller poster as the genre often revolves around enigma.
The psychological aspect within a thriller is the focal point so the use of
close-ups promotes this.
