THRILLER SUB-GENRE: Codes & Conventions

THRILLER TYPE	DESCRIPTION / CONVENTIONS
Psychological	Examples: Silence of the Lamb (1991), The Shining (1980), Momento (2000), Vertigo (1958) Content: Psycho Thrillers includes and emphasises characters and their unstable emotional state. They usually include a plot twist, an unreliable narrator, and a macgriffin (an object/goal that helps the story to progress). Common Themes: These include reality, as some of the main characters have an unstable emotional state it is the link between what they think is real and what society thinks is real. Also linked with that is both perception and the mind. Other common themes are that of death, existence and identity. Sound: As in most thrillers music is very eerie and chilling but quite often they will use different styles of music between sane characters and insane characters. Mise en Scene: Quite often in psycho thrillers they use mirrors to portray different effects, such as the ‘dark side’ of someones personality.
Mystery	Examples: Gone Girl (2014),  The Prestige (2006), Shutter Island (2010), North by Northwest (1959) Content: Mystery films focuses on the attempts of a detective or someone like a private investigator to try and solve a mystery. Although every thriller has a sense of suspense, it is crucial in a mystery thriller to have mystery throughout. This is usually done by use of sound (diegetic & non-diegetic) camera shots & editing, heavy shadows and plot twists. Common Themes: these include Crime, there are few mystery thrillers that don’t involve the law in some way, making crime thrillers and mystery thrillers nearly interchangeable.
Comedy	Examples: RED (2010), Wild Tales (2014), Bad Boys (1995), Sholay (1975). Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). Content: This genre is usually very different to other thriller sub-genres because it is a hybrid of two very different genres. They usually are light hearted or use sadistic or dark/black comedy Music: This is dependent of what other sub genres it becomes a hybrid with, because if is more of an action (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) then the music will match a action movie, intense, loud and exciting. Whereas is it is leaning more towards a supernatural or psycho thriller comedy (Housebound (2014)) then it will have intense suspenseful music.
Political	Examples: The Bourne Identity (2002), Z (1969), JFK (1991), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), All the Presidents Men (1976) Content: Political thrillers usually have to do with a political power struggle. They can be strongly based on a true story or a fictional adaption. There is usually one party with power and another party trying to remove that power. Common Themes: usually have to do with political corruption in some form, giving one party incentive to act against the corruption. Another common themes are terrorism and warfare.
Legal	Examples: A Few Good Men (1992), The Verdict (1982), The Firm (1993). Content: These are thrillers where the major characters are Lawyers and their employees. The intense scenes and excitement are quite often created in a court room, and these don’t lean as heavily on lighting as they do on sound, mise en scene and camera angles. These usually are more thrilling in a dramatic sense, than in the use of jump scares and other frightening elements. Common Themes: Common themes usually are along the lines of law, crime, justice and right and wrong usually plays a key part in the film.
Spy	Examples: Casino Royal (2006), Argo (2012), Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy (2011), Army of Shadows (1969) Content: Spy Thrillers have many cross overs with mystery thrillers, they are just specific to spies. They deal with fictional espionage, they show the   espionage agencies and their risk of being exposed by their enemies.
Supernatural	Examples: The Ghost Rider (2007), Carrie (2013), The Gathering (2003) Content: Supernatural thriller include content and characters that is not natural.  Supernatural thrillers are not always horrors, although the movie industry often do make hybrids of the two. The fundamental difference is in the name, horror movies aim to horrify the viewers with gore (e.g. torture, graphic violence, vulgar and petrifying imagery) whereas thrillers have the purpose to excite and thrill the viewer without the purpose of disgusting them. Common Themes: Avery common theme is possession where a character or object is possessed with an evil spirit, other themes include death, exorcism and fear Sound: Usually very tense since supernatural thrillers rely heavily on suspense. Editing: Editing is usually very quick and commonly includes shots such as low angles, fast/shaky tracks,

Note: I have not commented on styles, contents and conventions of the thriller genre, I have attempted to comment on how this particular sub-genre is different and or similar to other sub-genres.