JC - Conventions Of A Thriller

The common thriller has a villain driven plot, whereby the villain sets obstacles for a hero to overcome. This hero is usually a 'hard man' who thrives on danger. These people are normally police officers, spies, and soldiers amongst other things. However in recent times it has become more common for everyday citizens, and women to be the heroes with in thriller's. This allows the audience to connect with the films plot and main characters in a much more personal way.

There are many other sub-genres within the thriller genre itself, these include:

1. Action - often against the clock, feature many fight/action scenes, and there is an obvious villain the cause carnage throughout.
2. Spy - the hero is often a government agent who is sent on a mission to track down a villain, and halt their evil plans.
3. Legal - the hero is often a lawyer who must overcome many obstacles to win their case when it previously looked like they had no chance of winning. They usually have to overcome threats on their lives, and face persecution from people who are against what they are doing.
4. Crime - these thrillers offer accounts of successful or unsuccessful crimes, and what the criminals had to do to plan the crime, and the way in which the police attempted to stop them. These types of thrillers normally engage the audience, as the plot often features many twists and turns, requiring the audience to think about what is happening.