Genre research

In psychological thrillers, characters often battle their own minds: they attempt to determine what is real, who they are, and what life's purpose is. Amnesia is a common plot device used to explore these questions. Character may be threatened with death, be forced to deal with the deaths of others, or fake their own deaths. Psychological thrillers can be complex, and reviewers may recommend a second or third viewing to "decipher its secrets. Common elements may include stock characters, such as a hardboiled detective and serial killer, involved in a cat and mouse game.

Techniques used

Stream of consciousness – a technique in which an individual’s point of view is produced as a written equivalent so we are able to see the individuals thought processes. In psychological thrillers, the narrative to manifest the characters psyche through word usage, descriptions, or visuals

First person narrative – a technique in which the story is narrated by one or more of the characters. This technique is used to make the audience more involved with the characters themselves, and thus able to understand how the characters minds work.

Back-story – the history behind the situation right at the start of the main story. This deepens the psychological aspect of the story since the reader is able to more fully understand the character and more specifically, what the characters motivations are and how his/her past has shaped their current cognitive perceptions

Common themes often include –

1.       Reality

2.       Perception

3.       Mind

4.       Existence/purpose

5.       Identity

6.       Death

Settings – the setting is a very important element to a psychological thriller. The 2 most common locations for a psychological thriller to be set is a city or inside a building. The country is not common as this location can mean the film s confused with a horror

Costumes – the villain normally wears smart clothing e.g. suit or shirt and jeans as the costumes normally matches the location. E.g. if it was an urban built up area the character would more than likely to be wearing a suit and tie. The villain normally wears dark clothing, as the colour black represents death, mystery and suspicion.

Lighting – usually uses low level lighting in psychological thriller as it creates suspicion and tension. In some films its used to create shadows which makes the audience feel fear and tension.

Props – props are normally the key aspects in a psychological thriller as they are normally used to create clues that are related to the rest of the film. They do this to keep the audience engaged. One of the most commonly used prop is a mirror as they are used to portray the reflections of the characters inner self as well as representing the ‘dark side’ of the character.

Sound – high tension music or eerie sounds are most commonly used in psychological thriller. Sometimes however, in complete contract to this silence is used, this makes the audience tense. The music is important as it reinforces the relationship between the setting and the characters. Without the correct music, any film can look unprofessional.

Common camera shots/movements and edits

1.       Fast pace editing – creates tension as the audience suspects something is wrong and become restless. Also the fast moving scenes build up tension and excitement within the audience. Fast pace editing could be conventionally used in chase scenes between a victim and a killer

2.       Most common shots are mid shot and close up – this helps the audience relate to the character as they are able to see the emotion and tension on their faces. This creates a realistic feel to the film as the audience can relate to the actor or actresses situation, this makes the film more scary

3.       Flashbacks and fast paced editing are commonly used – the flashback is used to help show the past. This gives an insight into an characters past and shows an important message or helps explain why the characters are the way they are. Editing is also an important element in the film production because it also helps to create emotions for the audience such as montage were it excites the audience due to its fast pace.

4.       Slow motion – this builds suspense because the audience wants to know what happens next in the scene but it is pro-longed by the editing.