Over the past fifty years or so the film industry has changed a lot. Better props, CGI, costumes, makeup, and acting all enhance the quality of a movie. Horror films from the early sixties were far different than present day horror movies. Horror films took a dramatic turn in the mid to late nineties by redefining what makes something scary. Graphic scenes, blood, gore, creepy music, and a dark atmosphere are supposed to inflict emotions of fear, disgust, and terror in the viewer. This was not commonly found in vintage horror movies because at the time it was distasteful in the eyes of society. It became more acceptable around the time I was born for some reason. More and more filmmakers were using more blood to create unspeakably sickening scenes.
In horror films in this day and age it seems as if the writer and director are more focused on the frightening and disturbing scenes and images throughout a movie, rather than the story itself. Examples can be taken from the Saw series and Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies along with Friday the 13th and many other accurately named horror films. All of these movies have poor stories with intense graphic scenes that feature mutilation, murder, blood, and screaming. Horror has actually been replaced with the subgenre of gore-filmography, as if blood and gore is mistaken for terror and fright.
Personally I would not classify The Sixth Sense as a horror movie because it does not have the same frightening and sickening effect on its audience, regardless of the handful of jump scares. The movie itself does a decent job of supplying the characteristics of a horror film including eerie music, gloomy mood, and feelings of dread and an upsetting aura in the scenery and setting. Throughout this particular movie the filmmakers give clues as to what the outcome of the movie might be. Examples of this would be the drop in temperature, the recurring red motif, and Malcolm’s lack of communication with the living. But in a present day horror movie the outcome is generally known before the movie even starts, due to the lack of storyline and clichés that are more common in today’s horror films.
After watching The Sixth Sense I have concluded that an appropriate category to put this movie in would be a suspense or psychological thriller, based off of the mind blowing twist at the end where Malcom discovers that he is dead. But the movie could actually be a horror for some people, such as children or Ms. Lajdel. A child watching this movie would completely ignore the twist and be solely focused on the terrifying images portrayed in this movie such as the hanging people in the school and the girl who appeared in Cole’s room with disgusting stuff coming out of her mouth.
The Sixth Sense does provide a few characteristics of horror movies, such as frightening images and scenes meant to scare, but I believe that was more of a way to add a spicier appeal. Overall, this movie was meant to make the viewer pay close attention to details and have to watch the movie over again to understand it fully.
