The document discusses themes and iconography in the thriller genre. It notes that villains are often depicted wearing dark colors like black to represent their evil nature, while some films subvert this by showing villains in colorful clothing. Specific colors like red are used to indicate distinct personalities or emotions. Props like guns and knives are commonly used as weapons, and fake blood depicts danger and death. Themes in thrillers include action, violence, psychological concepts focusing on mental states, crime and investigation, with some films addressing deeper themes like homosexuality, gender identity, and life difficulties.

1. Themes and Iconography

2. Iconography
• In the thriller genre, the colour of the clothes which the characters were will
parallel their personality, for example antagonists will wear all black to represent
the evil and darkness inside of them.
• However, in some films the cliché gets turned around as the villain will be
portrayed as nice everyday people by wearing colourful clothes. An example of
this is in the film ‘The hand that rocks the cradle’.
• A bright, vivid, shocking colour is often used such as red to indicate their sharp
and distinct personality. Different colours connote different emotions and ideas
such as red can connote, evil, blood and danger. Where green represents greed or
jealousy.
• The colour red is also very popular colour for women to wear as it makes them
look attractive and shows that they are sexy and the sex symbol of the film.
• Props are used in the thriller genre and they are usually used as weapons such as
guns, knifes or random objects such as the candle stick. Fake blood is a main prop
in thriller films to show danger and death.

3. Themes and hybrids
• There are various themes within the thriller genre such as the action
genre which includes lots of violence such as fighting and killing, guns
and explosions.
• Another popular theme within the genre is psychological concepts,
which focuses on the characters through mental and emotional states.
An example of this is in the film ‘Black swan’ which is a physiological
thriller.
• Crime is also a theme which focuses on investigation and trying to
solve a case such as murder. This theme can also involve the action
genre. Any cases which need to be solved help get the audience
involved as they feel apart of the narrative trying to solve the mystery.
• Despite obvious themes such as the ones I have mentioned the thriller
genre also have hidden themes in them. For example themes of
homosexuality, gender identity, the coming of age and life difficulties
such as depression, mid life crisis, isolation and loneliness.