The 5th Wave Analysis

When analysing and researching thriller films I came across the film 'The 5th Wave' where I was able to find a soundtrack for the last flashback. I wanted the soundtrack from this film because I knew the tension and suspense in that film built effectively in order to put the audience on edge, even in the opening scene that I am about to analyse;

 

 

Here is the longer opening to the film in 'The 5th Wave'. When I first watched this opening it was clear to me that the music was a distinctive part of the film as it helped build the tension for the audience, in order to let them know that something is about to happen so early into the film. In one of the very first scenes where the characters see the alien ship for the first time we can tell straight away when something bad or shocking is about to happen. This is because as one of the characters runs out of the house to see what is going on, the audio of the films dialogue fades slightly and the music gets louder very quickly, making the audience realise that something is about to happen. In addition to this, as the music was quite a scary and sinister track it would increase the fear the audience felt for the characters as they try to figure out what was about to happen. Another interesting way the film increased the suspense of the film would be in that same scene where we saw all the characters come out of the house, however before we saw what they were witnessing we were given a shot of all four characters reactions to the situation. This would build the anxiety we felt for the characters as we try to figure out what was going on and what was happening to them before we were shown this. I found this to be effective for a thriller because it drew the audience in as they question what is happening, they do not want to look away and concentrate in order to find out what happens. Another aspect of this opening that I found to be effective would be the voice over. This not only explained to the audience what was happened and what had happened in order for the audience to understand but it also added to the tension, as the fear and concern in her voice could cause concern for the audience as it is still very early into the film (not everything would have been explained yet which adds to the mystery). Moreover, through out this ten minute or so opening it is full with all sorts of action scenes including; the arrival of the alien ship, an earthquake, a tsunami, a sort of plague etc. Meaning it is so action packed it keeps the audience anticipating what is going to happen next and how the characters are going to come back from such a traumatic experience. This was very effective as long as this carries on throughout the rest of the film, this is because if all the action is mostly in the start of the film the audience will soon get bored and not as interested as they were at the beginning. Nonetheless, this film was action packed and the dialogue allowed the audience to be drawn in the whole time as they want to find out what is going to happen in the end and/or to their favourite characters.