Psychological Thriller

Psychological Thriller Conventions

*Drama/Mystery
*Danger is on a mental level
*Two or more characters preying on eachothers minds to create conflict
*Characters try and discover their purpose
*Characters often have a fear or fascination with death
*Narrative, confusion over what is real

The Sixth Sense


How this meets the conventions:
The drama and mystery is shown through the mystery of the unknown, it draws us in and their is drama the whole way through. The mystery also expands towards the end.

The ghosts only interact with him and this is a mental struggle as he is the only child with this kind of ability. They are not all friendly ghosts which is a big threat and he cannot seek help.

The ghosts torments his mind and causes him problems mentally and when it comes to interactions with others.

He has to try and figure out what they're for and that he has to help them, he learns that they are not initially there to cause him trouble.

The whole story is linked and connected to death. He is frightened all the time as they won't leave him alone, Bruce Willis is fascinated and sticks with him as a friend and a helper.

We don't really understand fully until all is unraveled at the end. We remain confused because certain things don't add up like his wife getting married again and her ignoring him. We don't realize until the end that infact the psychiatrist (his friend) is actually dead and the boy is just seeing him in his head.