How Sixth Sense is a Thriller...

There are many things within the opening sequence of the sixth sense which tell us that the film is a part of the thriller genre very early in the film. The opening sequence contains many of the conventions of a typical thriller i will describe a few examples of these:

The use of the eerie music at the beginning of this opening sequence sets the unsure and scary atmosphere which is typical of thrillers. The effect this has on viewers is that they are asking questions as to what is going to happen next and whether something scary may happen when the music comes to an end. The music lasts through the whole of the titles and is over a minute long - this keeps the audience in suspense and may put them in a mindset of discomfort and calmness so they may be easily shocked at what may happen next.

Another thing which leads us to believe this is a thriller film is the types of shots used. There are a few shots used in the opening sequence, but not too many - this may be to keep the viewer in the dark about the setting or to keep their attention on 1 thing and not complicate things. An example of a good shot used in the clip is where the woman is standing against a wall after hearing a noise of unknown origins. Her shadow is in the centre of the frame and she is to the left - this may give the impressions that someone else is in the room with her and she is not on her own. The shots are also very voyeuristic which also gives the feeling that someone else is in the room watching her.

A final way we are made to know this is a thriller is teh mise en scene. The location of the opening sequence is very mysterious and closed up. This leaves a lot to the imagination and anything could be lurking in the celler with the woman - there is also an eerie open door which makes you believe something may come out of.