Thriller Storylines

Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

Most thrillers take full in trying to accommodate Barthes theory on narrative and storylines, where the director tries to get the audience to pay attention to their film, using anticipation alongside expectation, and also identifying the movie using the "Codes": Enigma, Action, Semantic, Symbolic and Cultural.

The enigma code narrates a set of puzzles to be solved, raising questions as the plot continues which engages the audience, and a good way of delaying the ending of the film. The Action code showcases behaviours and actions that lead audiences to expect certain consequences based on past stories and their conventions. The Semantic Code takes the meaning of characters, objects and locations and how they apply to the story. This is better understood when comparing the semantic code of one film to another. The Symbolic Code is similar and symbolises features often signify oppositions and antitheses. Lastly the Cultural Code shows characters, locations and objects that represent a time period and location, and the references enhance our reading and understanding of the text. Romeo and Juliet have been remade into multiple timelines and Cultural codes.