As Thriller Analysis: Stac1e

Stac1e

Instead of typically starting with non-diegetic 'scary' music like most thrillers, the film starts with upbeat diegetic music from a commercial which gives the viewer the chance to get engaged with the film before so that when suspense is later created, it has a much more dramatic effect. This reflects on the actual story where a very attractive and popular 'product' called Stac1e turns and kills its buyer. This signifies that 'just because a product seems attractive to a consumer from an advertisement doesn't mean it'll necessarily be the same in real life'.

We first see an advertisement for 'Stac1e'. The background looks like pixels so we think of electronic technology. We therefore connote that Stac1e must be some sort of machine, though there's a sense of mystery since we never find out exactly what she is, which relates very much to the thriller genre.

Though suspense isn't technically created from the beginning, the film starts with an uneasy feeling given from the advertiser’s Brooklyn accent, often associated with Mafia symbolizing violence. Then we feel even more uneasy at the idea of selling a humanoid.

We realize the film is more thriller than science fiction when the non-diegetic sound comes in. Everything seems to go smoothly with the man relaxing watching television until the shot of a knife cutting a carrot simultaneous with a non-diegetic ‘creepy noise’. We understand the person chopping the carrot must be Stac1e. The carrot symbolizes the male sex and the cutting of the carrot signifies women ‘cutting men down’, ironic since so far in the film there has been an imbalance of power between men and women whereby women are shown to owe servitude to men.

The room where the man is sitting watching TV is very darkly lit which evokes mystery as well as fear, again a link with the thriller genre. There is use of expressive lighting, a blue hue in the room making the room feel cold and hence foreshadowing the upcoming murder scene. This is a reminder that Stac1e is not a warm-blooded living being with any feeling. It can also signify the stereotypical idea that women are ‘cold-hearted’.

When we first see the knife cutting, the simultaneous ‘creepy noise’ signifies danger and anger. We know then because of the tension that’s been established that the man watching TV will have provoked Satc1e by waving his glass at her. The knife stops chopping steadily and cuts down slowly, showing her frustration. This acting begs the question, ‘if we construct a machine that’s supposed to be as life-like as possible, can’t we expect it to react like a human?’

On one hand, Stac1e is presented as the ‘bad guy’ because she commits a murder. She’s ironically wearing a pretty white dress symbolizing innocence. However, the man watching TV is shown as lazy and rude to Stac1e, depicting the idea of sexist behavior in society and making us feel sorry for Stac1e.