How is sound used to create tension in thrillers?

Sound is used in thrillers to create connotations and further explore meanings

apart from the visualise of the feature. Films like this tend to use a score of which
is especially made for the film as it best fits the scenes and the message that the
Director is trying to put forth. As well as this, sound can be iconic, such as a
theme tune to a film or an iconic phrase of which a character says which makes
the movie far more memorable than other films in this category.

Jaws

In the film Jaws sound is used very effectively to create atmosphere, in the Get
out of the Water scene, deep trombone and trumpet notes are played to
represent a heartbeat of which gradually increases in tempo. This ominous sound
had a clever effect on the audience as their heart will begin to beat faster as
something bad is going to happen this intensity grips the audience and
develops an enigmatic scene which makes them want to watch more. The deep
notes reinforce the depth of the ocean, alongside the odd high-pitched sequence
of notes which develop mischievousness and intensify the scene even more. This
method of using music is very effective as it sets a strong tone of danger by itself
without the use of mise-en-scene, lighting or camerawork.

Saw

The soundscape in the final scene of Saw is very effective, when the character
of Mike kills Zep, the music is very choppy and clunky, with harsh sounds
accompanied by a constant white noise this could create connotations of
insanity or impatience being reinforced by the story that this film follows.
However, when Zep is dead and we see a shot of Adam crying, the music is soft
and dramatic which makes Adam empathetic as the audience can feel sorry for
him in this scene, the way that the music constantly changed pace, tempo and
sequence reinforces the un-expectancy of the plot and the fact that anything can
happen.

Taken

In Taken when Bryan is on the phone delivering the infamous I Will Kill
You speech, the background noise is very mysterious of which accompanies his
tone of voice. Yet the sound is controlled solely by Bryan and pauses/cuts off
when he pauses talking. This reinforces his nature as a commander or a man of
high importance, the sound could metaphorically connote troops of whom follow
his action.

Psycho

The shower scene in psycho is constructed solely on the soundscape as there is

no dialogue or colour, the classical music falsely foreshadows what is going to
happen next which makes it very unexpected and sudden. The sound of the
shower connotes rain which could be pathetic fallacy constructing ideas that
something ominous will happen, however the audience still doesnt expect
anything. The Screeching sound that plays when the woman is being killed
makes this scene incredibly intense and plays on the audiences expectations
which makes the sequence very dynamic and engaging.

To conclude, sound is an important factor in creating tension in films -and its

effectiveness when used correctly can develop a scene by itself. As seen in Saw
and Jaws Sound can accompany different filming techniques to build upon a
scenes intensity and build up to a climax, whereas in films such as Psycho where
colour and dialogue cant construct the sequence, sound must be and is used
effectively to do so.