Research of genre

Unlike thriller films, crime thrillers  offer a much more serious aspect, which is often established through iconographies such as drugs, weapons and violence. Crime thrillers notoriously have the effect to keep the audience on the edges of their seats, as they often establish an enigmatic theme, by constantly with drawing information from the viewer, resulting in suspense and tension being at a constant peak often throughout the film, until the very end, where the pieces of the puzzle are fitted together and all is solved. Unlike thriller films, often crime thrillers resolve, rarely leaving the opportunity to a sequel. An example of a popular crime thriller where similar iconographies are used is in Quentin Tarantino's pulp fiction, where a heavy use of drugs and violence involving lethal weapons is shown.

Often, crime thrillers are set in desolate, isolated, or hostile places. For example, 'Sin City' which is located in a dangerous city area. Also, as Sin City uniquely demonstrates, crime thrillers often feature very low lighting, creating a low key, almost apathetic mood to the film, adding desired suspension and an element of danger and fear to the film, or specifically desired scenes. In fact, Sin City often only shows black and white creating a monochrome effect. With the basic lighting throughout the film, the only bright colour which is often shown is red in this particular film. As the colour red represents danger, specific characters or scenes are associated with this colour to warn the audience of their violent or dangerous personality, or that something bad is about to happen. Furthermore, shadows are used in crime thrillers which have a very effective impact, just like the low key lighting does, by setting the enigmatic atmosphere which unnerves the audience.

The use of the colour red in Sin City

The tension which is created through these conventions is also enhanced and accentuated by the tense music which is conventionally featured in crime thrillers. The suspended, chromatic music creates large amounts of tension, making the audience feel as though something is about the happen, until the music crescendos and peaks, just at the climax of the scene. Often, the music will enhance it's pace and become more energetic during an action scene, for example a fight.

Also, crime thriller films use fast cuts, especially in scenes of fast paced action, to give the impression to the audience that the movements are fast flowing and energetic, which goes hand in hand with the fast paced, energetic music. The fast paced cuts also contribute to the verisimilitude of the film, as the characters can appear to be exchanging realistic powerful and fast blows to each other, for example in a fight scene.

One highly distinctive feature of crime thrillers, is the on going struggle between the protagonist character and the antagonist character, when there is a disruption in the equilibrium, and everything which seems to be good is knocked on its head. Following the interruption which results in the disequilibrium, a number of sequenced knock on events take place, which add suspension and tension to the film as it progresses, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats, striving to find out if the protagonist will succeed in restoring justice, or if the antagonist will destroy the protagonist's aims and destroy any aspect of justice which was trying to be served. This forms the rough main structure of the narrative. A crime thriller film which uses this split narrative very well is Ridley Scott's 'American Gangster', where the chain of events is un rolled and revealed from both the protagonists and antagonist perspective.

Also, usually at some point in the film, the protagonist will be knocked down and brought to their knees due to some kind of downfall, revealing them in their weakest form, exposing all of their faults. After this, the protagonist either regains all of their strength and courage before bring the antagonist to justice, or the story is left open to the audiences interpretation, leaving possible head way for a sequel.