CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

By Spencer Graham

A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist and a antagonist. The story usually revolves around a pivotal plot point of anarchy or disruption to everyday life. The story thorough the whole film usually builds up to a climax towards the end and then the antagonist is quashed and their plan is thwarted.

In a thriller there are many conventions that set up the emotions and atmosphere of the film for example here are a few;

• Montage of shots
• Protagonist is at the mercy of the Antagonist
• Low key lighting
• Shadows

The character of the protagonist is often courageous and this is often viewed as a male trait hence the protagonist is often a male who is trying to restore order and justice to the problem that has occurred.

The antagonist is a character that is often shrouded in secrecy in terms of his identity until the final revile. The antagonist is often looking for revenge for a past event, a good example of this is the character of Amir Barkawi who sought revenge for an American drone strike that killed his daughter in the film London has fallen.

The Storyline of the thriller is designed as to promote a sense of realism as to evoke the thought that the storyline from the film could actually happen to them. which can make the reader feel worried, un-settled etc. This would overall add to the enthralling nature of the film.