Hey there Cambridge!
I've been considering different genres for my film opening recently. Originally, I was thinking of doing comedy or drama. Until I somehow fell onto the idea of THRILLER! To be honest, I barely watch thrillers, but after viewing film openings to a few thrillers, like Psycho (1960) and Jaws (1975), I researched more and more until it felt like the right choice! This genre is meant to create feelings of surprise and suspense, which is exactly what I would like to do in my film opening.
Genre Conventions
Thrillers are known to have a very threatening setting. Details are important to create a sense of uncertainty and fear. To illustrate, in the Jaws (1975) film opening, the setting was outside at night with shots of a vast ocean. The way the setting was presented felt suspenseful, like anything was about to happen. There is also an item of value that the protagonist and antagonist desire. This could be money or anything of value to them. Whatever it is, it tends to be the root cause of tension between the two. Speaking of the protagonist, what sets them apart is a unique trait they have to overcome the antagonist. They are usually trying to stop the criminal or bad guy. This tension is developed by a sense that time is running out, high stakes involved in this conflict, and an escalating sense of danger. At one point, the protagonist becomes a victim and succeeds or gets defeated by the villain. Most importantly, there is suspense which makes the audience a thousand times more invested in the film or about what will happen next.
In order to build suspense, thrillers often utilize high angles, low angles, and close-ups. Simply since high and low angles can make a character look more vulnerable or powerful while close-ups catch character's emotions/expressions. Sound is also crucial in thrillers for building tension. Sudden silence, rapid tempos, and rhythmic patterns can invoke anxiety and abrupt changes in volume can scare the audience. Moreover, fast-paced editing is known to increase viewers' heart rate as quick cuts create a sense of urgency. Cross-cutting are also utilized, especially with juxtaposing scenes, for a sense of forthcoming danger. These techniques all play a major role in thrillers. According to research from the University of Southern California, dynamic camera movements are able to give audiences anxiety, showing a direct correlation between film techniques and viewers' emotions.
Target Audience
There are many types of thrillers (psychological, crime, mystery), but their audiences all tend to be people who love suspense, unexpected moments, and to be scared or excited. That is why thrillers are purposefully produced to invoke those certain emotions.
Institutional Conventions
In a thriller, a villain does a crime, and a protagonist tries to stop them. Obstacles get in the way of the protagonist, who has a 'deadline' for when they must defeat the villain by. Lives are usually at stake. There are also unexpected moments and false endings.
Visual metaphors are used to convey complex ideas in an impactful, subtle way. These ideas are also illustrated though symbolism to hint at other themes in the play. These two elements give insight to a character's thoughts and feelings. In addition, foreshadowing is also utilized to suggest future events in the story, ultimately adding more tension. The setting includes texture and detail to create an immersive experience and establish the tone of the thriller film. Fog and lighting are usually added so that audiences feel uneasy.
There are many tropes that are common for thrillers. This could be a missing person, femme fatale, unreliable narrator, intelligent villain, isolated location, and sooooo much more. These tropes create uncertainty and tension, making them popular and entertaining.
Suspenseful trailers are crafted to create suspense and anticipation in people before the film is released. This anticipation and intrigue are also created in social media posts. Due to the abundance of thriller films, a film is generally marketed to be distinct from the other thrillers so it can stand out. Usually, that is done with engaging content and unique promotional strategies.
Famous Thrillers
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| Psycho (1960) |
Psycho (1960) is about a secretary who embezzled money and retreats in a secluded motel owned by a man with a dark secret. In this film, Norman Bates murders several people (the victims). Lots of suspense and anticipation is built, especially through the use of quick cuts. Symbolism is used to depict a character's inner state, like running shower water and a drain to convey life being 'sucked' out of someone. There are high stakes, in this case it is someone's life.
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| Jaws (1975) |
Reflection
This research emphasized to me how the #1 element in thrillers is suspense. What felt most necessary to understand was the genre conventions (content and techniques) of this genre to convey anticipation, urgency, and uncertainty. I plan on using these techniques like fast-paced editing and symbolism. This research also gave me direction as to themes and tropes to think about when planning my film. Overall, thrillers seem to be really cool and interesting and would make producing my portfolio project a super exciting experience. I certainly have gained interest in some new movies to watch.
I'll catch you in the next blog where I will be doing some more genre research!
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| Run Lola Run (1998) |
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| The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
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| Fight Club (1999) |
More resources...
Top 100 Thriller movies of all time
Genre Thriller: Understanding the Anatomy of Thriller Movies
What's the Difference Between Horror and Thriller? - ScreenCraft
Exploring 'Jaws': Pioneering Suspense in Thriller Cinema - CliffsNotes
Citations:
Chase, J. (2023, December 11). Genre Conventions: How to Satisfy Suspense Readers by Meeting Expectations. The Write Practice. https://thewritepractice.com/genre-conventions/
Whitaker, M. (2025, April 14). The Role of Cinematic Techniques in Creating Tension in Thrillers • imaginarycinema.com. WordPress. https://imaginarycinema.com/the-role-of-cinematic-techniques-in-creating-tension-in-thrillers/#what-types-of-camera-angles-are-most-effective-in-building-suspense
Piolo. (2025, March 17). The target audience for thriller films: Who enjoys thrillers? | AMPLIFY XL. AMPLIFY XL. https://amplifyxl.com/target-audience-for-thriller-films/
The Art of Visual Storytelling in Thrillers. (2025, June 17). Number Analytics. Retrieved January 24, 2026, from https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/visual-storytelling-in-thrillers
Film distribution for thriller films. (2025, October 23). https://www.meegle.com/en_us/topics/film-distribution/film-distribution-for-thriller-films
Thriller Conventions: The 10 Things Every Thriller Novel needs. (2020, August 4). https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/thriller-conventions
Perez, T. (2025, February 8). 10 most common tropes in psychological thrillers. MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/common-tropes-in-psychological-thrillers/
Harper, E. (2025, July 6). Jaws: A Masterclass in Suspense – Horror or thriller? Dark Skies. https://darkskiesfilm.com/is-jaws-a-horror-or-thriller/#The_Anatomy_of_Suspense_Why_Jaws_Thrills
"The Beach Will Never be the Same Again" Wallpaper. (2023, September 1). Wallpapers.com. https://wallpapers.com/wallpapers/jaws-movie-poster-lsosnuymncbfza2o.html
Run Lola Run (1998) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, crime, Thriller. (1999, June 18). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130827/
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) ⭐ 8.6 | Crime, drama, horror. (1991, February 14). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/
Fight Club (1999) ⭐ 8.8 | Crime, drama, Thriller. (1999, October 15). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/
Gone Girl (2014) ⭐ 8.1 | Drama, mystery, thriller. (2014, October 3). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/
Yours Truly,
Macie 💗
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