PSYCHOLOGICAL

THRILLER CONVENTIONS
There are identifiable features in the style and content of films that are
shared across the industry that make them prototypical of their genre and
easily identifiable to an audience. My chosen genre is psychological thriller
which is a sub genre of thriller and has conventions that cross with the
horror and mystery genres

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
A typical structural element to the plot includes an inciting incident that makes the main
character investigate or somehow involve themselves with the equilibrium disruption
A climax or darkest hour ; psychological thrillers present dangers generally as emotional
and mental rather than physical, and if they are physical enemies, conflicts are usually
played out through deception and manipulation. Characters dont generally engage in
physical battles but rely on mental resources, and often times the enemies are internal

Denouement; the ending provides a conclusion to tie up loose ends but it is common to
provide a plot twist that is unexpected to the audience. They are designed to prompt them
to rethink characters and events, and foreshadowing can help subtly point the audience
towards this in retrospect.

Common themes are death, reality, and identity, and are interwoven with the main plot
Flashbacks are sometimes interspersed with the present day and disrupts the timeline, giving
it a fragmented feeling that often reflects a disturbed sense of mind

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE CONTD

A common narrative feature of psychological thrillers is Roland Barthes five codes that are
woven into most forms of narrative. The two most important of these that apply to this particular
genre are
The Hermeneutic Code : This refers to elements of the story that arent fully explained and
purposefully obscured, so to become a mystery to the reader. Snares are used to
deliberately avoid exposing the full truth especially in psychological thrillers as it is
common to keep the audience in the dark about the existence of a secret in the first place.
It is typical for subtle hints to be dropped through out the story to gradually provoke
suspicion that something isnt quite right. The purpose of this is to keep the audience
guessing until the reveal and all loose ends are tied off and the narrative is given closure.
The Proairetic Code: This code is designed to also build tension, referring to cumulative
actions or events that indicates something else is going to happen, and hence gets the
audience guessing as to what will happen next. The Hermeneutic and Proairetic Codes
work together to develop the story's tensions and keep the audience interested.

CHARACTER TYPES
Vladimir Propp developed a character theory that identified seven broad character
types that are widely applicable to most narratives. There are a few that are especially
relevant to the psychological thriller genre
Hero (protagonist) vs. Villain (antagonist) In psychological thrillers, there is a clear
main character that the film is centred around. The audience are invested in their story
and root for them. However unlike horror or general thrillers, there is not an obvious
contrasting antagonist but usually as a collective force or a malevolent influence that
threatens their mental state.
The false hero This is someone who is perceived as good in the beginning but turns
out to be bad. In psychological thrillers this is often someone who is trusted by the hero
or even revealed to the hero themselves. Sometimes this role is inverted to throw off the
audience (E.g. In Shutter Island, as the story unfolds all clues point to the character Dr.
Cawley as the villain, however at the end he is revealed to be similar to the helper,
aiding the main character)

TECHNICAL CODES
Shadows and low key lighting are used to portray a sense of danger and provoke
unsettlement within the audience. Grading in post-production editing is used to
increase shadow/light contrast and deepen colours for a more dramatic effect.
Sound, and often the absence of sound, is significant in creating atmosphere and
evoking strong emotions. String instruments are famous for their use in building
suspense; particularly low or high notes accompanied by minor-key piano chords
and tension-filled silences
Non-naturalistic/obtrusive editing like montage editing, fast cuts, high/low camera
angles etc. Typically designed to emphasise key points, themes or moments within
the story and make the audience feel a particular way towards certain characters.

SETTING & ICONOGRAPHY

Location is important with thrillers as they are most often used to invoke atmosphere and represent
themes in the form of semiotics. For example in the film Black Swan, mirrors are used to signify a
darker side to the characters
Bars, windows and fences are commonly used to show entrapment of the character and represent the
mind turning in on itself

Isolating places are used to distance the character from reality, the truth, or people who can help.
This is sometimes shown literally with the film set on an island, in cabins or rural houses, but it can
also be interpreted as more metaphorical by directors, who choose to set their films in everyday
urban areas but isolate their characters socially. This is sometimes more effective in creating
emotional resonance within the audience due to its relatability.
Settings are usually dark with low lighting. However, sometimes characters find themselves in
complete darkness and a limited amount of light is typically given in the form of torches, matches or
street lamps. As well as being practical, it creates tension as the audience know the match will
eventually burn out, the torches batteries will run flat, or the lamp will flicker and die, and there is a
timeframe between the character striking another match or the street lamp turning on again where
they are completely vulnerable