Pulse
When the dead discover a means to contact the living through electronic devices, cellphones and computers become open gateways to monstrosities and destruction.
The film struggled financially against its mid-range budget of $38.0M, earning $29.9M globally (-21% loss).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Pulse (2006) demonstrates meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Jim Sonzero's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Mattie Webber
Dexter McCarthy
Josh Ockmann
Izzie Fuentes
Stone
Main Cast & Characters
Mattie Webber
Played by Kristen Bell
Psychology student investigating mysterious deaths linked to a supernatural computer virus
Dexter McCarthy
Played by Ian Somerhalder
Computer science student who helps Mattie uncover the digital threat
Josh Ockmann
Played by Jonathan Tucker
Mattie's boyfriend who becomes an early victim of the supernatural virus
Izzie Fuentes
Played by Samm Levine
Mattie's friend who works at the computer lab and witnesses strange occurrences
Stone
Played by Rick Gonzalez
Tech-savvy friend who tries to help understand the digital phenomenon
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Mattie lives a normal college life with her friends, connected through technology and social media. She worries about her withdrawn boyfriend Josh who has become increasingly isolated and unresponsive to her calls.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Josh hangs himself in his apartment after sealing the room with red tape. Mattie arrives to find his body. His death is the catalyst that sets the mystery in motion and disrupts her ordinary world completely.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Mattie meets Dexter, who bought Josh's computer and has been receiving the strange messages. She chooses to team up with him to investigate Josh's mysterious project, actively entering the dangerous unknown rather than walking away., moving from reaction to action.
At 44 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Isabelle, Mattie's close friend, is attacked by a ghost emerging from her computer. She becomes infected with despair and commits suicide by jumping from the building. The threat is now undeniably real and claiming people Mattie loves - this is no longer just about solving Josh's mystery., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 66 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Stone is killed by the ghosts. The city is falling into chaos - mass suicides, empty streets, infrastructure collapsing. Mattie realizes they cannot stop the invasion; the entities have already spread through the entire network. The world as she knew it is ending., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Mattie realizes that the only way to survive is to escape to a place with no technology - no cell towers, no wireless signals. She and Dexter decide to flee to a remote "dead zone" where the ghosts cannot follow through digital networks., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Pulse's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Pulse against these established plot points, we can identify how Jim Sonzero utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Pulse within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Thinner, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Mary Reilly.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Mattie lives a normal college life with her friends, connected through technology and social media. She worries about her withdrawn boyfriend Josh who has become increasingly isolated and unresponsive to her calls.
Theme
Josh cryptically tells Mattie "Do you want to know what it is? It's a way to meet people. It's a way to never be alone." This foreshadows the theme of technology's false promise of connection leading to isolation and death.
Worldbuilding
The setup establishes Mattie's world of college students immersed in technology - phones, computers, wireless networks. Her friend group includes Isabelle, Stone, and Tim. Josh has been working on a mysterious computer project that has consumed him, creating tension in their relationship.
Disruption
Josh hangs himself in his apartment after sealing the room with red tape. Mattie arrives to find his body. His death is the catalyst that sets the mystery in motion and disrupts her ordinary world completely.
Resistance
Mattie grieves while trying to understand why Josh killed himself. She experiences strange phenomena - seeing ghostly figures and receiving cryptic messages from Josh's computer account saying "Help me." She debates whether to investigate or accept his death.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Mattie meets Dexter, who bought Josh's computer and has been receiving the strange messages. She chooses to team up with him to investigate Josh's mysterious project, actively entering the dangerous unknown rather than walking away.
Mirror World
Dexter becomes Mattie's partner in the investigation. Unlike Josh who was consumed by technology, Dexter represents a practical approach to understanding it. Their growing connection offers hope and human partnership against the digital threat.
Premise
Mattie and Dexter investigate the supernatural phenomenon spreading through wireless networks. They discover ghosts can enter our world through screens and devices, draining people's will to live. Victims become depressed, covered in dark marks, and eventually dissolve into ash. Red tape can block the signals.
Midpoint
Isabelle, Mattie's close friend, is attacked by a ghost emerging from her computer. She becomes infected with despair and commits suicide by jumping from the building. The threat is now undeniably real and claiming people Mattie loves - this is no longer just about solving Josh's mystery.
Opposition
The ghost invasion accelerates across the city. More friends become victims. Mattie and Dexter race to find the source - a computer at Josh's university that opened a portal between worlds. The entities are spreading faster than they can stop them, and the red tape can only slow, not prevent, the intrusion.
Collapse
Stone is killed by the ghosts. The city is falling into chaos - mass suicides, empty streets, infrastructure collapsing. Mattie realizes they cannot stop the invasion; the entities have already spread through the entire network. The world as she knew it is ending.
Crisis
Mattie faces despair as the scope of the catastrophe becomes clear. Civilization is collapsing around them. She must choose between trying futilely to fight the ghosts or accepting that survival means abandoning the connected world entirely.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Mattie realizes that the only way to survive is to escape to a place with no technology - no cell towers, no wireless signals. She and Dexter decide to flee to a remote "dead zone" where the ghosts cannot follow through digital networks.
Synthesis
Mattie and Dexter navigate through the apocalyptic city, avoiding ghosts and the chaos of collapsing society. They fight to reach their vehicle and escape the urban nightmare, helping other survivors who are also fleeing to technology-free zones.
Transformation
Mattie and Dexter reach a remote area free of technology, joining other survivors. In contrast to her technology-dependent life at the start, Mattie now embraces disconnection as salvation. Her voiceover reflects that they survived by unplugging from the network that once defined their lives.