Analysing Thriller Clips

All through one of our lessons we had to analyse thriller clips from films. We did this so we could learn what it was that made them give the audience a thrilling sensation. I think that it is the build up of tension, mysterious atmosphere and suspense which leads to the unknowing of when and what is going to happen. The clips that we analysed were from the films: 28 Days Later, The Shining, Arlington Road, Collateral and What Lies Beneath. We had to analyse the lighting, the use of camera, music, editing, setting and characters. My favourite out of the films was What Lies Beneath because I truly felt the suspenseful moments when the reflection was seen through the bath water. Within the clip from What Lies Beneath, the camera follows the foot steps of a woman in a bathrobe approaching the bathroom door and when she opens the door hot steam come gushing out. From this we can instantly assume that something bad is going to happen due to the mise en scene. Also, to add tension, the sounds during the clip range from diagetic sounds of the bath water running which adds reality to the situation and then non-diagetic sounds of the sudden change of mood when the woman sees the reflection of someone else in the bath water. The tension builds up from the over the shoulder shot of the woman turning the tap off then looking away from the tap where she discovers the reflection.
I think that the steam also added to the creation of tension as it blurred the vision of the audience making them want to focus more and more until they notice a figure which makes them want to jump.