The conventions of a medical thriller

The sub-genre I will be analysing is medical thrillers and what makes up that sub-genre in a film of its category.

What is a medical thriller?
A medical thriller is a type of thriller which is based on medical treatments and because it is a thriller, it is even more based on medical problems or mutations. The characters are trying to solve these problems, but while they are doing this, they also always get involved into the problem. This subgenre is more based on literature than on the film media

To begin, I will first look into what components on editing are used to make up the Medical thriller  genre.

Common medical thrillers do have some feature extensive uses of green tint which majorly comes from the colours of the operation and hospital lights.

     
Firstly, one of the things what makes up many common medical thrillers is the extensive use of green tint, which is almost atmospheric, it creates a modern, pale and isolated feel. It is majorly inspired by the turquoise colours we often see in most hospitals.

The green also makes the whites in scenes really stand out depending on the type of lighting. If low-key, the green tint would show grimy details o walls and the ceiling for example, or if it was high key then the scenes would be much brighter like in the photo above, almost everything is white and makes the scene really high-key but however no lively as there is always desaturation in medical thrillers where white backgrounds are involved and this creates a rather pleasing but unusual and ghostly atmosphere within the scene.

In most medical thrillers, the main character always encounters death, either on their own or a somebody else's. This is one of the most traditional and common conventions of the sub-genre because in medical thrillers, there are scenarios either about a psychopathic killer or an infectious genocide or apocalypse.

Next, common medical thrillers often included the storyline in which the hero or heroine are medical doctors or personnel working to solve a dangerously expanding medical problem.


Traditionally, it's either commonly an infected apocalypse like in 28 Days Later, or a rapidly growing infectious disease in which a group of scientists need to suppress and eliminate before a genocide takes place, like in the medical thriller "Contagion".

 

Analysis of 3 Film Openings

The extensive use of low-key lighting is used to immediately set the atmosphere in the film.

Right from the very beginning of the opening sequence, it starts of with he use of very low-key lighting.

The low-key lighting establishes this gloomy, apocalyptic feel for the viewer and already starts sharply with this level of suspense. The use of the low-key lighting also makes the background unclear and really dark therefore provoking curiosity and suspicion as to what could possibly disrupt the equilibrium of the scene.

Hurtwood House - Analysis of Micro elements

 

SUBMERGED 

 

At the beginning, they us editing and sound to start off the story with a rather creepy atmosphere.

How they had done this is that they added in a slow fade from black to emphasise the deep darkness of the scene then had synchronised it with the non diegetic audio drone and ambient sound to really reinforce the effectiveness of creating this deep, huge underwater setting.

 

They also use editing to create clarity as to what part of the film the viewer is watching.

This is evident as they use basic italic font as text introducing their production company which is traditionally a the opening of common thriller films.

 

Editing is also used to show clarity within the scene itself with the use of a long take. The use of the long take of the submarine indicates to the audience that the story is set in there and is significant to the actual film and indicates that this isn't any random shot used to establish the setting.

 

Mise en scene is used to create the cold, atmospheric effect through out the opening sequence.

The submarine features two blue lights at the front which also softly lights the setting around it therefore indicating that that sequence is set underwater.

 

 

The use of the mid-close up side shot of the two pilots almost makes the viewer feel like they're in the actual submarine sitting next to them and getting to see what they are doing, in other words, its up close and personal.

 

 

CATHERINA

 

The use of cinematography is used to set pace in the sequence.

 

At the starting of the sequence, the high angled close up shot of the car wheel spinning as it moves at a fast speed on a highway.