Genre Conventions & Narrative Theory

                                        Genre Rules & Storytelling Theory

The psychological thriller genre centres on mental instability, paranoia, trauma, and moral ambiguity. Instead of relying on physical action, it builds tension through internal conflict, making the mind itself the source of danger. This creates a more intimate and unsettling experience for the audience.

Key conventions help shape this atmosphere. Restricted narration limits what we know, often aligning us with an unreliable protagonist and creating uncertainty. Slow pacing and controlled editing allow tension to develop gradually. Low-key lighting and desaturated colours reinforce isolation and unease, while subtle sound design—such as silence or distorted audio—intensifies discomfort.

Applying Tzvetan Todorov’s narrative theory, psychological thrillers often begin with an apparent equilibrium. Although everything seems normal at first, small disruptions hint that something is wrong, building unease before the main conflict is revealed.

I plan to structure my opening in this way, presenting an ordinary domestic setting before gradually exposing signs of emotional dysfunction through performance, mise-en-scène, and sound. By grounding my production decisions in theory, I can ensure that choices around pacing, cinematography, and audio deliberately contribute to psychological tension rather than relying purely on intuition.

                                  

                              

(images found from Google.)