Typography

Serif typefaces are semi-structural and have small decorative flourished whereas San serif do not have the flourishes and are usually easier to read. In  films San serif typefaces are used due to the near-uniform width of the strokes keeping the font readable even when reduced in resolution or in font size. San serifs are also more legible from farther away, which is why they make good title typography.

For psychological thriller films the fonts used are often san serif to give a clear and striking meaning to the text being shown which often contrasts the plot line. The colour scheme of the texts used are usually white, red or blue. These colours often contrast a dark background making them stand out. The red also has a common connotation to blood or danger which fits well with the genre of the film. The blue is often associated with isolation and the cold, separation and isolation are both common themes in psychological thrillers therefore the colours can be used as foreshadowing and links to the storyline. White is ambiguous as it can bring the ideas of insanity and sanity into the title or it can have clinical or death related connotations, either or is decided by the
title the colour is red for. However it is not uncommon for serif typefaces to be used for titles despite them not being ideal for movie titles. This is because  a serf typeface gives a more intellectual and advanced aesthetic to it which would attract the reformer type of audience to the film as psychological thrillers are usually aimed at the more intellectual side of society. The titles are always written in the centre of the shot to give a direct and almost forceful introduction to the film for the audience.

 An exception to the common conventions of a psychological thrillers typography would be Black swan  which is written in serif in the colour of black. This title still fits with the  bold central title for added suspense, however the typeface is based on a white background suggesting to the audience that is not just a conventional psychological thriller that it has something unique and different about it, in an attempt to draw a wider audience. This difference is the main protagonist is a woman which is unusual for this genre.