Codes & Conventions of a Psychological Thriller

Famous Films

Iconography

Martin Scorsese

Alfred Hitchcock

Gregory HoblitDavid Fincher

David Lynch

KeyDirectors

Themes

Psychological thrillers tend to follow certain themes which is the centre of the story. Some of them as follows are: • Death• Reality• Identity• Existence• Purpose

Conventions of a psychological thriller

• Low Key lighting- shadows to create fear/tension.• Quick edits & changes in camera angle- increase the feeling of

fear and shock. Often used during significant scenes.• Music- high tension, eerie, silence.• Flashbacks- time disorientation confusing the audience or

showing the past to give an insight into why the characters are the way they are.

• Chiaroscuro- increase effectiveness of shadows.• Claustrophobic spaces- entrapment of the mind, planes or house.• Font/colour of title- may be written in a certain way to emphasise

the theme of the film.