Codes and conventions of a thriller film

2. • Fast paced editing and quick cuts
• The colours are usually black and
white
• Normally include mirrors and
stairs
• A protagonist and antagonist
• False endings
• Tilting camera shots

3. A lot of the time the codes and conventions are used to
add much effort to the film or to give the audience a
false impression as to where the plot may actually be
going (which is why false endings are quite popular),
build up tension with the tilting camera shots and
usually have plain colours such as black and white to
keep a serious and tense tone.

4. SIXTH SENSE
The sixth sense film is a very popular thriller movie which follows a lot of codes
and conventions, especially about the dull colours since much of the footage is
a night with Cole trying to confront his fear of the dead.
Quite dark and close up shot to
capture emotion. This makes the
audience feel the suspense of
what will happen next and can
draw them into the experience and
story more.
Again with the dull colours to show a
serious tone as well as the stairs in
the background. This also captures a
serious moment in the film because
of the adult being a lower level than
the child.

5. TAKEN
Taken is another popular thriller film which deals with a father having to go in search
of his kidnapped daughter abroad and finds out who is her kidnapper. It follows many
of the codes and conventions including:
Here you can see how dark the
screenshot is as well as half of
the fathers face shrouded in
shadows which builds tension
as one of his eyes are
completely blacked out.
As you can see here the father is in light
clothes indicating that he is good and
urging to find his daughter where as the
other man he is confronting is in black
showing that he could be the bad guy as
well as both of them being more towards
the dark places in the room rather than
the light coming from the roof.

6. In this shot it follows many codes and conventions such as the dark contrast
of colours symbolising that something bad is going to happen as well as the
feet appearing in the distance out side the bed generating suspense as to
who this person could be and the fact that the girl could have gotten away.

7. SILENT HILL
Despite being more towards a horror genre it still has many codes and conventions of a
thriller film that make it a valued movie among the rest.
Here you can see that the
mist has an effect on the
shot showing that you can
barely see Heather walking
in the distance which could
make the audience feel
drawn into the experience
because they can’t see
where she is going.
Here you can see how the colour
contrast differs with the people in the
clip. For example everyone is in dull
clothing where as the girl is in a bright
colour showing that she is the centre of
attention; this causes the audience to
ponder what it is she is doing and why?

8. HANNA
Another recent popular suspense thriller film which follows a young girl called Hanna who
was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin and to eliminate an agent from Europe
who is pursuing her dad.
Here in this image you can see the
total darkness surrounding Hannah
with only her face showing. This
could cause the audience to feel
the same helplessness as she is
and the same loss she is feeling as
we are being placed in her exact
position only being able to see
what she does.
In this image you see Hanna running towards a
closing door as this scene makes use of sound
as well as lighting and quick editing it lets the
audience know that this is an intense situation
for Hanna to escape the prison as well as
seeing if she will get through the closing door.