Thriller Conventions- (Representation)

A proper Thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal; to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the protagonist(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowningly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

A Thriller film promotes intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.
The following aspects are stereotypical representations of Thriller films. While not every Thriller film conforms to the following ideas, a good majority do.

THE NARRATIVE:
The narrative depends from film to film depending on the sub-genres of the thriller film. For example, a horror thriller will often follow a protagonist who encounters the antagonist, a supernatural force or a monster of some kind, several times. Usually, the protagonist defeats the evil power or pays with their life at the end of the film. A mystery/crime thriller may follow a protagonist chasing an antagonist throughout the film attempting to keep up with serial murders or revealing bit by bit the identity of the killer only to do so at the end of the film with a twist.

THE TITLE:
This may relate to a fault the protagonist has, an action or description of the protagonist/antagonist, their position or situation they appear to be in. The title will often giveaway the sub-genre of the thriller film.

THE PROTAGONIST:
The protagonist will often be seen in peril or in an extraordinary situation in one or more scenes of the film. This character is fallible and has an 'Achilles heel' or weakness that is exploited by the antagonist. The antagonist may appear as the binary opposite of the protagonist.

THE ANTAGONIST:
The antagonist ensnare the protagonist in an increasing complex trap, chase or tale until the protagonist feels isolated and helpless. This character also has a weakness but is only discovered at the climax or end of the film by the protagonist in which the antagonist usually fails. The protagonist may appear as the binary opposite of the antagonist.

MICRO-ELEMENTS:
These combine in a build up of suspense. Micro-elements relate to things such as camerawork, sound, editing, narrative, genre, mise-en-scene, lighting, costumes, actors and facial expressions.

THEMES:
Identity-Mistaken identity, doubling/doppelgangers, amnesia.
Seeing, reflection and mirroring-Manipulation of perspectives, visual effects, and optical illusions are common.
Voyeurism-A theme and the objectification of female characters is common especially in earlier thrillers. (See Hitchcock post.)
Puzzles and enigmas-Often set up in the opening, further complicated during, and only resolved at the very end of the film.