2. A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER?
• Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of thriller
which focuses heavily on the unstable emotional states
of characters, in combination with mystery and thriller..
it often incorporates elements from
the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical
traits of the thriller genre. In addition to drama and
mystery, many psychological thrillers contain elements
of, and often overlap with, the horror genre.
3. WHAT TO WEAR?
• Usually in the antagonist are dressed smart such as
shirt and trousers and in some cases where the villain
is female this rule still applies. In terms of race the
villain is usually white for example in Se7en
• The protagonist are usually wearing neutral clothing
such as white which emphasis their innocence and
purity.
4. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
• Most openings begin somewhere personal to the main
character. So for example in Don’t Look Now it beings
by the lake which is personal to the main character as
it is where his daughter dies. In Sixth sense the
opening is in a house which is where the man dies.
• Therefore psychological thrillers usually open in areas
where the audience can relate to which makes it more
frightening as it makes the scenario more realistic
5. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
• LIGHTING: Low lighting is the most popular type of lighting
used in psychological thrillers. This is used to create tension
and suspense and is useful when trying to emphasis the
abnormal behaviour of a character
• CAMERA: Quick camera movements create suspense as the
audience suspect something is wrong and jump shots from one
thing to another contribute to unsettling feeling the audience will
experience
• ACTION: In the opening, action is prolonged to create suspense
and anxiety. There is usually minimal conversation in the
opening and at the end usual something bad happens which
leads to the main characters dysfunctional behaviour.
6. MUSIC
• High pitched sounds and the use of instruments such
as pianos which create uncertainty and apprehension
to the audience
• Non diegetic is also used in psychological thrillers
