Thriller Sub-Genres

 

Sub-Genre	Definition	Example Film	Conventions of  sub-genre	Conventions of thriller genre
Action thriller	A movie that has lots of suspense and action.	Taken	In this film trailer there are elements of action and mystery, As the protagonist is trying to find the people who took his daughter.	•McGuffin – Villains desire  •Making it personal •False clues
Comedy Thriller	A movie that contains thrills and has a sense of humour for its audience.	In Bruges	This film is funny but also quite serious at the same time. For example it states “shoot first, sightsee later” which indicates the reality of it.	•Funny •Some action  •Suspense  •High stakes  •Conflict  •Unexpected twists
Conspiracy Thriller	This is where a mystery has taken place as well as the thrills that come with it.	Enemy of The State	This film is very intense as the protagonist has no idea what is happening. Therefore this creates more suspense in this film.	•Tension •Suspense  •Excitement  •Main emotions
Crime Thriller	Has a crime plot and has suspense that is built up throughout the thriller.	Memento	This film is full of killing and violence. The protagonist starts to panic due to having memory lost which can lead to false clues and accusations.	•McGuffin – Villains desire  •Making it personal •False clues   •Clock

Sub-Genre	Definition	Example Film	Conventions of  sub-genre	Conventions of thriller genre
Legal Thriller	This sub-genre focuses on someone’s life and has elements of thrills.	The Life of David Gale	This film is based on a man being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. This brings tension and suspense to the film.	•Tension •Suspense •Long life term consequences
PsychologicalThriller	Explores how charactersare unstable. It explains how a character acts and how they became it.	The Machinist	This film is learningabout the protagonists behaviour and how he investigates what happened to him.	•Mystery •Themes of crime •Morality  •Substance abuse  •Unreliable narrators
Spy Thriller	This is around a storyline with a secret agent living a secret life from society.	Spectre	This film has a lot of action and guns. However it also shows how the protagonists solves the mystery and saves the world.	•Guns •Betrayal •Female/male companion  •Mise-en-Scene
SupernaturalThriller	Supernatural thrillers contain elements based on fantasy and horror which is based on fictional beings	The Sixth Sense	This film involves a boy having six senses as he sees and experiences everything around him. This is an effect of “edge of the seat”	•“edge of the seat” feeling •Constant state of anticipation
Techno-thriller	It is a hybrid genre drawing science fiction, thrillers and many more together	Ex Machina	This film is a very mischievous and unpredictable film which has elements of tension and betrayal	•“edge of the seat” feeling •Betrayal  •Tension

Conventions of a thriller