Thriller soundtracks

The Ring



Low, gradualuse of sound time would be useful for building up tension. Although this is for a horror soundtrack, this would also be suitable for a pyschological thriller as it creates suspense.

Psycho



Fast pace violins inspired for the cross cutting scene where the protagonist discovers her identity is missing in our thriller opening 'Erased'. The fast tempo would work well with the pace of the scene.

The Grudge



Again, starts off slow, this would be effective for a pyschlogical thriller. The violins creates suspense while the tinderbox sound effect creates a chilling atmopasphere.

My Thriller review: Lucky number slevin

Lucky number Slevin is about Max (Scott Gibson) in the late 1970s who makes a bet on a fixed horse (Lucky Number Slevin) owned by two crime lords, The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley) who kills the man and his family as an example to anyone else with the same idea. Twenty years later, his son, Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who was presumed dead is back for revenge with the help of the assassin who was meant to kill him, Mr GoodKat (Bruce Willis). They come up with a plot using mistaken identity and debts that are owed to both crime lords to kill anyone connected with the murder of the family.
The themes and issues are crime, revenge and karma on the crime lords using the same kind of brutality that was inflicted on the family; which insinuates crime does not pay. These are the usually conventions for a crime thriller for the protagonist to seek revenge. This is done by picking away at the hierarchy and power struggle of The Boss and The Rabbi. There is also police corruption and complicity; some of the police officers are willing to follow the corrupted officer when he intimidates Slevin. But ultimately regardless of how bad life has been, love can be found and prevail.

A key shot is towards the end of the film is where the composition is when the two crime lords are bound to chairs and the chairs are facing away from each other but the backs are touching. This was shot well as it reflects how close the enemies were living together but was worlds apart. The cinematography has a lot of restrictive shots which adds mystery but also delays the suspense for the spectator from knowing who is involved. There are high and low angle shots used as in the scene with Mr GoodKat who is about to kill the boy in an isolated area. The low angle from Mr GoodKat’s feet gives a strong air of dominance and while the low angle starts at the feet of the boy, when he turns to face the assassin it changes to a high angle which shows the boy in a submissive state.




The production design and props like the telephone and the bold large print wallpaper used as in the hallway and hotel room scenes suggests a link to the past which has not yet been broken. This subverts the convention for a crime thriller as it usually consists of dark colours and low lighting. The use of the Kansas City Shuffle soundtrack at the end of the film connects to the narrative by Mr GoodKat at the beginning of the film giving a thread of continuity, but also subverts the convention of an eerie tense soundtrack used in a thriller. The lighting was often dark which is often used in thriller films. The dark shadows used can also connote a dark side to Slevin’s personality and the fact he has a dark past that has obsessed him for a long time. However, when he walks out of the shadows from the left of the frame to the right, a transition towards the light means he is finally leaving that side of his life behind; the protagonist and the spectator can now have closure.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and felt suspense when during chase scene. I also enjoyed working out the enigma codes and the final reveal that the protagonist was the son of the victim and that he was an assassin. The acting was excellent and the storyline was very entertaining and thrilling. I would definitely watch this again.