Crime Thriller Sub-Genre

Crime Thriller is a sub-genre that I will focus my coursework on.  Having researched Thriller as a whole genre it has given me an insight into what codes and conventions the audience will expect to see including color representation, camera angles and quick editing. For a thriller film, the crime sub genre will incorporate the film with a crime-based plot for the film. For example, these plots will often be associated with typical crime based concepts, including a murders, robberies, threats and manhunts. 
Some codes and convention include

• The typical plots include: abductions, murders and robberies. 

• Characters include: gangsters or some protagonist, victim and the detectives.

• Common objects: a gun, knife, police sheriff badge, money etc.

• Shots: close up, big close up, medium two shot, long shot and over the shoulder shot.

• Editing: quick and obstructive, fast paced and eerie music, different transitions.

• Lighting: often high-contrast lighting or low-key lighting to retain mysterious theme. 

It is often focused on the criminal itself and the protagonist (usually the detectives, or main character) in order to build a modern day crime thriller. Crime thrillers are likely to have a hybrid genre of actions and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense for the audience. 

What Makes a Thriller Film?

For any film, expressing the Genre has to be shown throughout in order to be classified. This can be done by including specific codes and conventions, certain narratives and using a range of different techniques. Often the codes and conventions of a thriller film can heavily focus on the editing and sound throughout, using ‘quick cuts’ in order to build tension and suspense amongst the audience. Tension should be present through the majority of the film in order to allow the film to accentuate the mysterious and un ease feeling for the audience. A thriller films purpose is in fact to ‘thrill’ the audience so the themes of mystery should be adapted. Lighting in a thriller film,  primarily low key lighting can be used in order to bring the mystery theme into action as viewers are unable to see efficiently causing them to feel intrigued and ‘think’ about what exactly is happening on screen. High contrast lighting may potentially be used in order to highlight the good and bad roles within a film or help producers foreshadow the future of the character. For example, in the first scene of the movie ‘sixth sense’ the loopy mental patient is shown in high key lighting expressing that he is the more notorious and powerful figure, compared to Bruce Willis who sits in low key lighting which foreshadows his weak and vulnerable position compared to this- this demonstrates the high contrast lighting between mis en scene’s. 

Colour may also be used to represent certain character to send a message to the audience. Often the colour red may be signified throughout a film in order to symbolise a message to the reader, for example ‘red’ can often be associated with romance or happiness, yet in a thriller film it may symbolise high emotion or violence. Other colours often include shades such as black or white to symbolise good and bad, as well as contradict to the darker plots.

The characters are placed within a binary opposition, often matching good vs. bad roles. This underlines that thriller films often have a heroic person, and the bad person is known as an antagonist.

Other techniques of a thriller film include obtrusive editing, disorientated sense of time and sense, a range of different close up and extreme close up shots, and tracking of the camera. Narrative techniques, include a range of different concepts which help the viewers to determine the genre of the film. For instance, the plot usually has many twists and turns to it in order to keep the viewers in suspense, increased amount of violence, principles of concealment, flashbacks and making the audience think. The ‘Thriller’ genre often has many sub genres’ which can define the plot and theme of the film more efficiently. For example, the following are some examples of sub-genres:

• ·         Conspiracy Thriller

•         Crime Thriller

• ·         Erotic Thriller

• ·         Political Thriller

• ·         Psychological Thriller

• ·         Spy Thriller

•       Supernatural Thriller

• ·         Techno (action/science fiction) Thriller

• ·         Religion/Cultural Thriller

Often, these are combined with other genres, such as romance or horror in order to create a ‘hybrid genre’ demonstrating that the film doesn’t focus on one genre specifically, this highlights that other codes and conventions may also be present.