The Sixth Sense

 

This movie reflection is the psychological thriller film named “The sixth sense”, was directed by M. Night Shyamalan in 1999. The film tells the story of a child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe tries to help the isolated eight-year-old boy, Cole. Strangely, Cole communicates with ghosts that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help.

 

 

Generally, almost all people have the power of perception using five senses; sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. And else, rarely some people who can experiences as foreseeing the future, seeing what seemed to be spirits, and possibly reading the others’ mind. In this film, the child Cole has the unique ability can see and talk to dead people. The sixth sense is the ability to perceive the special feelings, but originally normal people can’t feel it easily. For that reason this is named tuition, ESP (Extrasensory perception), and commonly called the sixth sense.

Child psychologists help individual child(ren) focus on what is causing the symptoms to manifest or intensify. Once the source of the condition is identified, child psychologists work with patient and children to develop coping skills. Psychologists provide a safe environment to express child(ren)’s feeling.

Usually, young children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy. Just in psychological perspective, Cole has experiencing schizophrenia of childhood because he can see and hear the dead people. However, if we see in spiritual perspective, the diagnosis could be different. Besides, Cole has autism disorder which is neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication with others and by restricted and awkward behavior. Cole has some symptoms of autism includes poor eye contact with Dr. Malcolm when they met first and seems to prefer playing alone with a toy, such as a statue of Virgin Mary or knights on horseback related into his “own world”.  

Some people like psychological thriller movie. Why? According to Merriam-Webster, “thriller” is “ a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense”. While “ horror” is defined as “painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay; intense aversion or repugnance; repulsive, horrible, or dismal quality or character".

  

Psychological thriller is a subgenre of “horror film” and so popular. Why do people love thriller movies? Some people may actually like suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements of movie rather than just relief or monotonous contents. “Thriller movies heavily stimulate the viewer’s moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and /or terror”.

On the other hand, some people like horror movie because they enjoy being scared and being frighten. Another idea is that horror movie gives people adrenaline rush or energy. It seems like to feel similar excitement experience, such as someone who is trying bungee jumping or other risk-taking. Social scientists suggested that while “most people like to experience pleasant emotions”, some other people are enjoying their unpleasant, negative emotions when they are watching horror movie