The document discusses several films that use thriller conventions: Life on Mars focuses on linking the main character Sam to the future through flashbacks and seeking what sent him to the past. Now You See Me follows an FBI squad tracking illusionists who rob corrupt executives. Olympus Has Fallen uses violence and cliffhangers during a terrorist attack on the White House. Limitless explores the psychological effects of a pill that unlocks 100% of brain ability.

2. LIFE ON MARS.2
In this show they use many traditional thriller conventions, there is a lot of
violence, there are red hearings and plot twists but this show has
managed to stay true to the genre but with a modern feel. Through out
the show there is an overriding theme which keeps the audience
interested, but apart from this each episode is brand new with different
character and new villains, most of the episodes link with the over
riding theme as they link to ‘Sam’s’ future knowledge and his attempts
to get ‘home’.
The second series of Life on Mars focuses more on the link between Sam
and the future, it also goes deeper into finding out what Sam is trying to
remember and why he has been ‘sent’ to that point in time. There are
many flash backs and forwards in both series but they are more
common in the second as we ‘the audience’ get closer to finding out the
truth.

3. NOW YOU SEE ME
Synopsis : An elite FBI squad is pitted in
a game of cat and mouse against
"The Four Horsemen," a super-team
of the world's greatest illusionists.
"The Four Horsemen" pull off a
series of daring heists against
corrupt business leaders during
their performances, showering the
stolen profits on their audiences
while staying one step ahead of the
law.
Director: Louis Leterrier
Actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark
Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Isla
Fisher, Dave Franco, Woody
Harrelson, Morgan Freeman.
Release Date: 21st May 2013
Awards: Nominated (People’s choice
award) - Favourite Thriller Movie
There are many thriller conventions in
this film, for example there is a
significant twist at the end of the
film which leaves questions which
the answers for could come in the
form of a sequel. Near the beginning
of the film we find out about this
shadowy person/organisation which
throughout the film is pulling the
strings but we do not find out who it
is until the very end this leads to
lots of unanswered questions and
tense moments when people do not
know who to blame for crimes
which have been committed.
Due to the fact that this film revolves
around magic there are many cliffhangers which leave the audience
asking questions . There is also a
surprising amount of violence in
this film which contributes to the
genre.

4. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN
Synopsis : Disgraced
former Presidential
guard Mike Banning
finds himself trapped
inside the White House
in the wake of a terrorist
attack; using his inside
knowledge, Banning
works with national
security to rescue the
President from his
kidnappers.
Director: Antoine Fugua
Actors: Gerard Butler,
Morgan Freeman, Aaron
Beckhart, Finley
Jacobsen
Released: 17th April 2013
This is an action thriller and so
does not include as many
thriller conventions as other
films but does have some. As it
is an action thriller there is a lot
of violence which is a
convention of thriller films,
also there are little cliffhangers throughout the film
with the biggest and most
significant at the end. They use
a lot of close up shots in this
film which heightens the
tension, also the use of a child
increases the tension as it
increases the stakes of the
scene and film as a whole. Lots
of the language used is
heightened language which
increases the tension and
suspense further.

5. LIMITLESS
Synopsis: With the help of
a mysterious pill that
enables the user to
access 100 % of his
brain abilities, a
struggling writer
becomes a financial
wizard, but it also puts
him in a new world with
lots of dangers.
Director: Neil Burger
Actors: Bradley Cooper,
Robert De Niro, Abbie
Cornish
Awards: Won (ASCAP) –
Top Box Office Films
This film is a drama thriller which
has a very unique plot line
and themes. Classic
conventions such as
violence, suspense and cliffhangers are used in this film
but it is not a classically
scary thriller.
This film is partially
psychological as it is about
what would happen to people
if they could access the
whole of their mind which
allows for the audience to
not fully comprehend
everything which is
happening in the film but
maybe want it to happen to
them or be scared by the
thought that this could
happen in the future.