A police crime thriller focuses on crime stories from a law enforcement perspective. Examples include The Untouchables, Out of Time, and Scarface. Seven (1995) follows two detectives hunting a serial killer targeting victims for the seven deadly sins. Gangster Squad (1949) depicts cops battling a ruthless mobster running Los Angeles. The Departed (2006) involves an undercover officer and police mole infiltrating the Irish mafia in Boston, often ending in bloodshed as loyalties are tested. Key conventions include the use of guns, alcohol, tough protagonists, and portraying law enforcement in an imperfect light.

1. GENRE RESEARCH Police Crime Thriller.

2. POLICE CRIME THRILLER
DEFINITION:
Crime films are a genre of film that focus on crime. The stylistic approach to a crime
film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched
evil doings of imaginary arch-villains.
Examples of Police Crime Thrillers:
The Untouchables
Out of time
Scarface
Gangster Squad
Reservoir Dogs
Seven

3. SEVEN (1995)
Synopsis: When retiring police Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) tackles a final case
with the aid of newly transferred David Mills (Brad Pitt), they discover a number of elaborate and
grizzly murders. They soon realize they are dealing with a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who is
targeting people he thinks represent one of the seven deadly sins. Somerset also befriends Mills'
wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is pregnant and afraid to raise her child in the crime-riddled
city.
Conventions:
•The consumption of alcohol and illegal substances.
•The use of guns and knives.
•The main protagonist attending a party.
•Police attempting to arrest/intimidate the main protagonist.
•Always a character who has had a tough upbringing.
The main protagonist is usually a man who has had a tough life and very little money and status
“Mr. Nobody”. The women are usually portrayed as being lesser valued members of the cast they
appear as a small role to bind the character to the human world and stop him constantly working
constantly. Some police crime thrillers portray the police in a negative light and use the polices
imperfections to approve of the bad guy who becomes an anti-hero.

4. GANGSTER SQUAD (2013)
Synopsis: it's 1949 los angeles, the city is run by gangsters and A malicious mobster, mickey cohen.
Determined to end the corruption, john o'mara assembles A team of cops, ready to take down the
ruthless leader and restore peace to the city.
Conventions:
•Sob story of someone close dying and turns the detective cold (Without Pete dying Jerry would have
never got involved in the ”GANGSTER SQUAD”)
•The villain commits and evil act of cruelty… makes you question his humanity, Mickey Cohen sets his
works on fire.
•Corridor sequence where you see the bad and good guys face off.
•Guns and knives
•Getaway cars
•Police doing “whatever's necessary” to get the job done

5. THE DEPARTED (2006)
Synopsis: An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while
infiltrating an Irish gang in south Boston.
Conventions:
• Often ends in a blood bath they all die
• Young cop old cop matched together cause each other grief as conflicting views on how to
police
• They will struggle to trust in each other
• Drugs/Guns and mobsters.
• Trust and bonds being broken
• Considering switching allegiances

6. IDEAS AND CAMERA SHOTS…
PLOT: Our piece will be about a detective who is hungry for revenge he is on a war path after his
partner was brutally murdered by an unknown villain.
•Shot of a roof top view over london
•Shot of looking through window curtains at the policeman
•Him confronting the murder on the phone
•Down the barrel of a gun shot.