Thriller Conventions

The thriller genre is characterised by it's use of tension and suspense, shown through the narrative but also through sound and editing. Of course, a vast majority of films use tension and suspense making thriller one of the more broad genres of film. 
The key conventions found in most of thriller films are:


Narrative

• Often feature a crime at the heart of the narrative.
• An enigma, for example, in a mystery thriller, the enigma would be the mystery that forms the narrative.
• A complex storyline, using red herrings and cliffhangers.
• Narratives often involving conspiracies, pursuit or investigations.
• The protagonist uses intelligence to solve the mystery or win against the antagonist, as opposed to brute force.

Characters

• A protagonist with a mysterious past that is only alluded to during the film/
• Often a more "anti-hero" style protagonist.
• Antagonist and protagonist on opposite sides of the law.
• Protagonist normally in an authority figure position, as well as one that's slightly more dangerous, such as police officers in Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, or experienced criminals such as in Reservoir Dogs.
• The protagonist will often have a flaw that is exploited by the antagonist, such as John Ferguson's vertigo in Vertigo or Clarice Starling's inexperience.
• A more street-smart and savvy protagonist.

Mise en Scene

• Modern, urban settings.
• Dark environments and low key lighting.
• Use of modern props: mobile phones, computers and cars.
• Weapons such as guns often feature.

Sound

• Suspenseful music, often at key scenes.
• Mostly music suited to the setting and time, such as more modern synthesized music for thrillers such as the Bourne trilogy.

Editing

• Fast paced editing.
• Quick cuts.
• Obtrusive editing.
• Wide variety of shot types