Sound in Thrillers

Sound is an important element of any film, especially thrillers. This is because it can add to the pace, emotion and anticipation of any scene, and make the audience react in different ways according to what is happening.
An example of sound in a thriller being used effectively is in Psycho (1960), a slasher/thriller. An iconic scene from this film is the shower scene, a murder scene in which a female character meets her end due to a serial killer.

The beginning of this scene has slow non-diegetic sound that rises in volume as she enters the bathroom. This creates tension, making the audience aware that there is something sinister about to occur. This sound then stops, and the only thing heard are the diegetic sounds of  the characters footsteps, and the sounds around her such as the shower curtain and water. The lack of underscore in this part of the scene makes the audience feel on edge as there is nothing to set the tone of the scene. This uncertainty makes the ending of this scene more alarming, as the audience do not know what to expect when there is nothing added to give an atmosphere. 

When the door opens, unseen by the character, still the only sound to be heard is the water. This creates uncertainty, as the audience are aware of the threat but unsure of what it means without music accompanying it. The non-diegetic sound only begins again once the shower curtain is ripped to the side, revealing the silhouette of the murderer. The high pitched and loud music accompanied by her scream immediately establishes fear, making the audience aware of the danger, and emphasising the panic and shock felt by the character. This high pitched sound continues as she is murdered, rising in volume and pace. The effect of this is to show that the peril of the scene is only being intensified, implying there is no escape and that she has met her end. 

As the murderer leaves, the pace of the music is slower, and with a lower pitch. This paired with the close-up of the characters hand slowly going down the wall shows that although the danger has gone, she has become weak. The heavy repetitive thud of this slow paced sound could resemble the ticking of a clock, perhaps suggesting that her time is running out. 
The music then continues to fade away, and the audience are left again with the diegetic sound of the running water, the simplistic sound creating a contrast against the horror of what has happened, and emphasising the harshness of the sound before. 

Directed by Hitchcock, Psycho, along with many of his other films, focus of the visual aspect of a scene. However the sound used in his films is known to have mass effect on an audience, manipulating their emotions, particularly in this well known scene in which the sound has become iconic in its use, as its pace and pitch alarm the audience, inciting fear.