Movie Research: Trap

 

What elements of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have?

The movie “Trap” includes several conventions common to thrillers. For example, it starts with an atmosphere of normalcy, which gradually shifts as it becomes apparent that something is wrong. This sets the suspense, which is a key element in this genre. The tracking shots of the protagonist moving through the environment help create tension, showing their vulnerability as he tries to escape the building. There is also the use of wide shots to display the environment of the whole film, the concert building. Zoom and pan camera movements adds to the foreshadowing common to thrillers by emphasizing the police presence. 

What elements of the genre did the movie have that you like?

One convention I liked was the use of color design. The color red is often used in thriller movies to symbolize danger. The worker’s aprons, the door leading to the roof, the employee only signs, and the bicycle, things the protagonist uses for escape methods, are all colored red. I also liked the quick cuts between close-up shots of the protagonist’s conversations. This helped to convey the tenseness of the situation. The high angle shots on characters other than the protagonist, combined with the low angle shots on the protagonist, were also effective. This portrayed the danger of the protagonist himself as the villain. I liked the use of various angles to capture the characters from different perspectives. Many angles were used, such as the high angle, low angle, and Dutch angle. I also liked the use of sound in the movie, as it was both diegetic and non-diegetic. It added to the story as the concert was ongoing and the songs could be heard but also had suspenseful music during the scenes where the main character was escaping. 

What elements of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal you?

 In the movie, there were a few flaws in the conventions that I would not use when filming our final task. For example, it is common in the thriller genre to advance the plot with little explanation of how it happened. This was shown in the movie in many instances such as when the main character is able to escape, and many cops don’t take notice when he leaves the limo or don’t see him walk around them. When we are filming our final task, I will not put this lack of information into our project and will ensure we provide explanations for why things happen while also being able to create suspense in the story. I also noticed that the characters were very poorly developed, such as their backstories being shallow and disorganized. I would not like to integrate this lack of character development into our project and will change this for our final task.