Expectations of the conventions in a Thriller

Definition: A hybrid of crime or mystery in an atmosphere of excitement, suspense, uncertainity or nerve-wracking tension.

Location
The common settings of a thriller I would expect to be an urban, isolated surbuban setting or something in strong contrast such as a big city or a quiet country village. I think the setting is largely dependent on the narrative of the thriller and the types of characters in the film. The aim of the setting I think would tend to be a location that would resemble or go against what is expected to happen there.

Character
The appearance of a common thriller character I think would vary depending on the narrative. For example, they can be smartly dressed and dark colours, such a James Bond, whereas it could be a character like the Joker whose appearance is completely different. Personality-wise I would say that a thriller character is likely to be people who are: criminals, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals etc that add to the wary and eerie appeal to the narrative.

Narrative
I think that thriller movies are usually shown from two characters points of views that are either related or in contrast to one another. On one hand, one of these characters creating empathy towards the audience and the other is a villain who has twisted views or a dark past. The two main characters are usually binary opposites. I also picture the story being told from a narrators point of view which makes the audience more observant.

The narrative in a thriller I think contains a lack of explanation of events at the beginning and the storyline reveals the notions and thoughts of why events occurred, this way it builds tension, adds suspense and mystery.

props
The main props I would expect in a thriller are weapons which are used to help define the binary opposites. I think the main aim of having these types of props is to significantly add to the suspense and nerve-wracking element of the thriller. These props are a straightforward way of revealing the genre and building tension.

Sound
I would expect the main purpose of non-diegetic sound to be eerie, creepy and create the stark atmosphere of the thriller. Specifically, in the opening it would create an environment that sets the scene, in order for the audience to see the themes, atmosphere and general outlook of the movie. The diegetic sound would be used mainly for adding harsh noises such as explosions, guns etc that would add realism and exaggeration to the scene.