Music

The music chosen to be featured in a thriller film is very important because it can add to the tension of a scene, and tell the audience that either something scary is about to happen. It can also become a trademark of a film, such as the music from Jaws or Psycho. A range of music is used within thriller films, from classical to rock, and all of these portray the type of sub genre the film is and have a different impact on the audience. Examples of music being used effectively in thriller films include:

Psycho

The music within 'Psycho' is classic, using strings to create tension during the film. The most memorable scene with music being the shower scene, in which the shrieking strings motif effectively raise the hairs on the back of the neck of the audience. The use of music and the screams of Janet Leigh combined creates the feeling of chaos and fear. The sharp shrieks of the string instruments used imitates the stabbing motion of the knife, and makes the listener feel uneasy like someone scratching their nails down a chalkboard. It is said that Hitchcock originally wanted to do the scene without music, and later admitted that '33 per cent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music'.



The Da Vinci Code

The music from 'The Da Vinci Code' is also classical, but in a different sense. It is choral/opera music which sounds religious, giving us an insight into the subject matter of the film. The music sounds tragic and sad, creating a melancholy feeling which adds to the tension of the film. The tense and dramatic feeling the music creates also gives us an insight into what sort of sub genre it is. The beautiful music draws us in as we listen to it, and is sung in a different language, giving us a taste culture and making us feel intelligent and inspired by listening to it.



Sin City

The soundtrack to 'Sin City' suits the film amazingly well. The movie is a mix of action, crime and thriller, and you can really hear this in the music. The different paces can suggest changes in plot, as well as many different styles of music being mixed into the track to appeal to the listener. The most common sound within the track is a jazzy sort of sound, bringing us into the time period and location of the film. There are three main changes within the soundtrack, which represents the film as there are three main different characters within the plot, whose story we follow. The beginning of the song starts with the jazzy, distorted saxophone in the background, and then transitions into a tension building orchestral sound. The song then changes into a heavy and chaotic ending with quiet remnants of saxophone playing again, and climaxes into a loud and sudden ending.