Studying The Sixth Sense

A surprise hit at the turn of the century, M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense was credited with ressurecting the virtues of the classical Hollywood horror film for an audience increasingly dissatisfied with the post-Scream strain of knowing teen horror. Mark Kirwan-Hayhoe explains exactly why the film is worthy of study by examining it through the key concepts of media and film studies—its approach to narrative and genre; its subtle development of themes and stylistic approaches; the subversion of Bruce Willis' star persona; and the film's impact on both audiences and Hollywood institutions. If you are studying contemporary Hollywood, the horror film or just looking for an exemplar case study, you are sure to find Studying The Sixth Sense useful and inspiring.