Conventions of the Thriller in 'Essex Boys'

Essex boys is an archetypal British gang movie released in 2000, based on true events revolving around the death of three drug dealers 5 years prior. The opening scenes begin with a narration from key character Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles) as he prepares to drive psychopathic Essex drug dealer Jason Locke (Sean Bean) to his next victim.

The opening is littered with aspects of the Thriller from the first few seconds. Though the setting may be far closer to home, it still shares conventions with other international Thrillers.

As the titles roll, sinister lines scrape across a black backdrop. These lines appear similar to keying the side of a car, suggesting teenage delinquency. The straight hatching of the strokes also hint imprisonment; brushes with the law are always present in Thrillers. Once the opening credits are done, the narration begins in a hardened Essex twang, associated often with exaggerated brutality in the news - that and Thatcher’s loyal cronies in years passed. The garage doors open into a decrepit hovel of cobwebs and rust, decay of every aspect of life. As Billy wipes the dirt from his van windows, Jason appears through the half-cleaned glass. The filth in which he becomes visible through mirrors his social status and pure lack of morals. The image of the white van is also an ominous and frequent one in the Thriller genre, hinting imminent danger and/or abduction. The abduction comes quickly along with generically raw acts of violence. The seedy activities of violent gangster types culminate at the victim’s dumping on the Essex marshes; the landscape is bleak, dead and featureless, a staple location of Thrillers. Jason’s hapless victim is hurled from the van, still blinded by bombardment by chemicals in the first of many gripping activities; the abandonment and sheer hopelessness of Jason and the roped in Billy’s victim can be found in other Thrillers, following a bleak and unavoidable incident. The character of Billy plays the core role of a fairly innocent young man drawn into the seedy gang culture, who suffers a huge emotional strain for his mistake.