Suspense is a crucial ingredient in making horror and thriller films. The importance of suspense in horror films is to bring out “the twist or unexpected moment of realization that makes someone scream and their heart race.” In the film industry, there are different types of genres, but no matter how different the films may seem, they all have an element that connects them all. This element is known as Mise en scene. Mise en scene is a French expression which means “to put on stage”. Staging includes elements such as setting, lighting, costume, and the movement and expression of the character (actor). Through the masking of the narrative, a secret window exposes order and chaos. The use of mise-en-scène throughout the first scene of “Secret Window” says a lot about the main character's profession and lifestyle. One of them is brought in in the opening scene to learn that he is a writer/author depicted across a busy desk filled with a laptop and other books/journals surrounding him. Secondly, we find the character placed and lying on a couch instead of a bed, which could possibly be related to his current state of mind which could have been affected by having previously seen a woman in bed with another man. The main use of mise-en-scène used in the first few minutes of "Secret Window" is when a stranger is seen at the door of the main character's house. The stranger is wearing a very warm black top, suggesting that he may bring danger or harm from his mind. Through the use of the man wearing a black hat that dominates the majority of his head, he also enforces the belief that "Secret Window" is a psychological thriller. Throughout the film, we are under an illusion for the most part. Most of what someone hears and sees happens in middle of paper...... summer murders often use red herrings in a way that makes the audience believe that one character is the murderer, but in reality, later in the show, the audience discovers that it is actually someone else, less expected, who is the murderer. This is a very effective way to end a film or television program, as it makes the audience think and perhaps leaves them speechless. Works Cited Hide and Seek. Real. John Polson. Perf. Robery DiNero, Dakota Fanning. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2005. Laserdisc. Secret window. Real. David Koepp. Perf. Johnny Depp, John Turturro. Colombia Tristar Home VideoÌ o, 2004. DVD.Number 23. Dir. Joel Schumacher. Perf. Jim Carrey. Paradiso Home Entertainment, 2007. DVD. The Uninvited. Real. Guard Charles. Perf. Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2009. DVD.MLA formatting by BibMe.org.