- Broad genre; a flexible form that can undermine audience complacency
- Includes numerous and often overlapping sub-genres
Conventions:-
- Literary devices:- suspense, red-herrings, cliff-hangers
- Villain-driven plot
- Exotic Settings:- foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, oceans
- Heroes:- frequently are 'hard men', accustomed to danger (e.g. law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, sailors, pilots) Or, can be ordinary citizens drawn into danger by accident
- Identity of villain usually known by the audience (to some extent)
- Hero must thwart plans of villain
- Crimes are often of a large scale and have to be prevented, e.g. serial/mass murder, terrorism, assassination, overthrow of governments
- Climax:- when the hero defeats the villain, saving their own life and often the lives of others
- In thrillers influenced by Film Noir and tragedy, the compromised hero is often killed in the process
- Physical and metaphorical concealment of character traits and plot lines
- Female danger, 'femme fatale'
- 'Cool' props/costume, e.g. leather jackets, suits, shades, etc.
- Appropriate/symbolic colour/lighting: shadow - mystery, unknown, reflects dark side of characters; red - danger; white - innocence.
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