Movie Conventions Blog: Spiderhead

Movie: Spiderhead (2022)

 1. What conventions of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does the movie have?

Our final task is going to be in the thriller genre, and so Spiderhead, a sci-fi/thriller, has many conventions of a thriller. These conventions are clues, editing, low-key lighting, mis-en-scene, praise in the protagonist, and crime. Clues are seen mostly through Jeff, but at times through Steve and Verlaine. Editing is seen at the beginning and end of the movie in the opening scene and when things start to get chaotic. Low-key lighting and mis-en-scene is seen throughout the whole movie, as it is something that really ties together the aspect of a thriller. Crime is the base of the plot as to why all the characters are being tested in the first place, and this helps tie in the praise of the protagonist, Steve Abnesti, who freed all the charcters from prison and brought them to this private, secluded land.

2.  What conventions of the genre did the movie have the you like?

This movie had many conventions of a thriller that I liked. The low-key lighting is something that I've always felt sets the mood for a thriller, and this was seen the whole entire time in Spiderhead. I also liked the praise for the protagonist since it's something that the audience can sense is wrong but doesn;t know exactly why yet, and that's where the clues come into place to help and keep the audience hooked.

3. What conventions of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you and you are thinking of not filming for your final task?

There were only two thriller conventions that I didn't like about this movie. I didn't really like the editing because I felt that it was sort of unnecessary and extra. But I will admit that it fit the vibe the movie was going for rrally well and made it stand out. It was just a bit overdramatized for my liking. I also didn't like the way crim was used in this movie. I just don't think the free pass out of prison to be pharamceutically tested and then black mailed was my type of scenery.