Movie Research: Unhinged

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

Thriller films often have dark lighting and desaturated color design to create the sense of a bleak atmosphere. In “Unhinged,” these conventions are shown in the opening scene, where the antagonist is introduced. Often, the conflict in thriller films relies on what is unsure to happen, in order to make the film’s progression more tense. Before the credits appear, a wide shot shows cars stuck in traffic. This is for setting the main topic and theme for the rest of the film. At one point during the exposition part of the film, the camera does a tilt movement down to another character’s license plate. In thrillers, hints will be shown early on to foreshadow things that will be important at a later point. Sound plays a significant role in heightening suspense in this genre. Diegetic sound, such as the humming of cars as they increase in speed, add to the tense environment. 

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

I liked the prop of scissors that the protagonist hid and later used to defeat the antagonist. Thrillers typically utilize items from previous scenes to tie them to the ending. There was also a close up of the protagonist’s face as she learned of the danger her son was in. I liked the use of this camera shot since it emphasized how important this knowledge was to the protagonist. Often within genres that can have darker themes, such as thrillers, the weather is used to visually display the feelings of characters. I liked how this convention was applied with the rain while the antagonist committed their beginning crime. 

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

There are many thriller conventions in this movie that did not appeal to me. One such conventions is excessive violence. Although thrillers to typically contain violence, I feel that it was rather excessive in this case. This, in turn, took away from the psychological aspect of thrillers. Additionally, the plot felt rather predictable, as it followed a standard thriller structure. There was a lack of surprises or twists, making the movie feel quite stale. There was also heavy use of dialogue between the protagonist and the antagonist. This can make the film feel more drawn out and frustrating for audiences since the story could have been resolved earlier if there wasn’t the heavy conversations between the two on the phone.