Thriller Conventions

• A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily)
• A complex narrative structure with false paths & clues and resolutions
• A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which with the viewer expects to be resolved
• A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist
• Extraordinary events in ordinary situations
• Themes of identity
• Themes of mirroring
• Themes of voyeurism
• Protagonist with a 'flaw' which is exploited by the antagonist
• Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist's psychological state
• There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril
• Mise en scene which echoes/mirrors the protagonist's plight