The plot in detail

During the film, John Doe hands himself into the police. This does not conform to typical movie conventions however it can be argued that perhaps it does to those of thriller movies. These actions allow the villain to complete his task and ‘win’- this is definitely unusual but this does not mean it is unconventional. Conversely, it does mean that what the audience expected to happen may still happen but not in the way previously expected. This goes against the idea of Todorov’s theory of narrative and the idea that the film will always end with an equilibrium. At the end of the film John Doe reveals to have killed the wife of Detective Mills, leading to the death of John Doe and therefore the accomplishment of what Doe set out to do. It could be argued, however, that the audience are trained to expect a Todorovian outcome to the film but the fact that the bad guy wins, could be a shock to the audience.