The Sixth Sense (1999) User Reviews

A movie with a gentle but long-lasting impression.

[undersky · 8/10 · 27 December 2010]

The Sixth Sense enjoys being playful with our imagination. What your eyes see is not exactly what it is. What your mind paints is not exactly what there is. In the world of The Sixth Sense logic is your worst enemy.

There are obvious (and sometimes less obvious) hints right in front of you but you don't grasp them because of your preconceptions and premises. I once read a novel called 'Somewhere carnal over 40 winks' which used similar techniques found in this movie, but in writing. I'm sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did, if you like to be intellectually surprised.

If you haven't seen this movie, don't read reviews and don't talk to your friends who have already seen it. The movie is very much susceptible to spoilers. It is suffice to say that the ending is just shockingly delightful.

I don't consider this movie heavily philosophical or thought-provoking. Having said that, it is one of the movies I love to watch again and again.

Even if someone spoiled the ending for you, it's still worth seeing

[rooprect · 8/10 · 1 September 2014]

There are over 2000 IMDb reviews for "The Sixth Sense" so I don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said. But in case someone has already spoiled the ending for you (like some dumbbutt did for me and the entire office back in 1999, causing me to avoid this movie for 15 years), never fear... it's still VERY MUCH worth watching.

The cool twist is, of course, the main punch of this film. But it's the kind of film you have to watch twice. Once for the story and once for the poetry. So to all my fellow film lovers who happen to have friends & coworkers with big mouths, this film is still a real treat on a poetic & artistic level.

M. Night Shyamalan is one of the few directors who deserves the hype and popularity he gets, at least for this film (I haven't seen any of his others but soon will). Everything is meticulously planned, every camera movement, every shadow, every color and every editing cut, almost to the point of obsessive mania. In the DVD extras he and his crew explain why they did everything the way they did; for example they do a lot of long takes because their philosophy was that rapid cuts tend to disrupt the viewer's thought process. So instead of showing a dialogue between two people in a volley of closeup cuts, the scene is done with 1 camera filming them from the side, slowly, almost hypnotically moving between both of them as it gets closer over the course of perhaps 2 minutes.

I could go on for ages about such scenes, but you probably get the point. If you enjoy the classic directors known for their careful & deliberate approach to filmmaking, directors like Orson Welles ("Citizen Kane"), Otto Preminger ("The Man with the Golden Arm"), Kurosawa ("Seven Samurai") or even the younger crop of great directors like Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic") and Alfonso Cuarón ("Children of Men"), you definitely have to check out this movie and other works of Shyamalan.

Still Very Good Even When You Know The Ending

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 8 November 2006]

This was hyped big-time when it came out and, if memory serves me, was a good conversation piece among those who saw it at the theater.

I didn't see it for a few years afterward, on tape and now on DVD. It was very good but I didn't find it as "the greatest movie ever" as some did. It is an involving story, however, and I've come to appreciate it more with multiple viewings. I've seen it three times, the last one looking for mistakes to disprove the surprise ending....but couldn't find any. The filmmakers covered their tracks. However, a couple of scenes were misleading. Those who have seen this movie know what I'm talking about. For those who haven't, I'm not going to spoil it here.

I enjoyed both Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment as the two leads. Willis has had many action-packed, profane macho roles in his career but I like him best when he's low key, as he is in here (and in "Unbreakable," to name another fairly-recent movie) The story is slow-paced but it sure is not boring. In a way, it's nice to see a slower-paced film be a big hit, as this was.

Osment, meanwhile, is a terrific child actor, as he has proved in other films. He's simply one of the best of his young generation. He and Dakota Fanning are the two best child actors I've seen in many years.

This isn't just some supernatural-horror movie. It's a nice human interest story. There is one scene late in the movie in which Osment's mom is having a talk with her young boy in the car. It is an extremely touching scene that brings tears - a great moment in the film.

A movie that will not be outclassed in its genre for years to come

[jayp-5 · 4 December 1999]

When I first saw The Sixth Sense, I didn't know what to expect. I guess I was looking forward to a good scary horror flick. I was very surprised. I found that the purpose for this movie was far greater than just trying to scare the audience. I found this movie was showing not only the emotions of fear, but also faith, commitment, sadness of loss, and love. The end was so surprising, I had to see it again. The second time I watched it, I did it from a totally different perspective (this is a very rare quality for any movie), and I enjoyed it just as much, or maybe even more. I also, as many viewers have, tried to detect fallacies in the story. I couldn't find one. In addition, for those that appreciate great soundtracks, the music only helps to heighten the experience of the movie.

I believe that a great movie is one that helps the viewer perceive life and the world differently. The Sixth Sense is one of those extraordinary movies that does that to me. This movie reflects on some difficult subjects that will make the viewer walk away asking eternal questions. Questions about death, about letting go, about eternal love and commitment, about the love between parent and child, and between husband and wife. Maybe I read too much into this very wonderful film, but I believe it will be difficult to find a movie that has touched on these subjects so poignantly and so well for years to come.

An appropriate spoiler-free review

[kylopod · 10/10 · 31 December 2005]

The surprise ending to "The Sixth Sense" has gotten so much attention that it threatens to overshadow the film. I occasionally hear people say things like the following: "The 'twist' was so obvious that I figured it out in the first five minutes!" Some of those people may even be telling the truth. There's no way to know. But there's a lot of condescension in such remarks, an implication that anyone who didn't figure it out must be a really dumb sucker. At least in my case I have an excuse. When I first saw this film back in early 2000, I knew nothing about it other than that it was about the relationship between a psychiatrist played by Bruce Willis and a child with some sort of psychic power. I didn't even know what that psychic power was, and an early scene led me to think it was telepathy. In short, I had no idea even what the movie's subject was until about the middle of the film, so I was completely adrift as to solving the movie's mystery.

Still, to anyone who did figure the secret out quickly, I have this to say: you may be smarter than I am, but that does not make this a bad movie. Hitchcock went to great lengths to keep the ending to "Psycho" from leaking out. Many people who watch that film today figure the twist out (probably because it has been imitated in countless thrillers since then), but the film is still a classic that holds up well today. Surprise endings are, ultimately, just clever contrivances, extra layerings on the cake. They do not constitute the difference between a good movie and a bad movie. A movie must work on its own terms before springing a surprise.

Nevertheless, there can be no denying that the twist in "The Sixth Sense" is particularly clever. It's no virtue if a twist is impossible to predict. It is just as important that the twist be logical as that it be surprising. Plenty of thrillers feature twists that are arbitrary, where the plot fails to provide enough hints. Even a clever thriller like "Fight Club" requires a bit of a stretch to accept the ending. What makes "The Sixth Sense" impressive is that it never cheats by suggesting that earlier scenes were imaginary. Everything we see is real, and only our assumptions fool us. If, however, you weren't fooled, all the better: just because you figure out the magician's trick does not make it a bad trick.

Consider what appears to be happening in the film. Willis plays a psychiatrist who has received accolades for helping children with problems. We see a romantic evening with him and his wife at home. Then he gets into an ugly, violent confrontation with a former patient. Willis believes he has failed, and he wants to make amends by helping a new child (Haley Joel Osment) who appears to be having the same problems (and perhaps the same abilities) that his former patient once displayed. But just as he thinks he's making progress with Osment, his marriage seems to be falling apart. His wife isn't talking to him, and is beginning to see another man.

However these events may be reinterpreted by what is revealed later, the movie is effective because it works on this basic level. In a key scene, Willis asks Osment what he wants most, and Osment answers, "I don't want to be scared anymore." It is not always clear that Osment is really facing a mortal threat. But because the movie establishes that he is undergoing a scary experience, by the time the movie reveals what it is that is frightening him, we have our emotions invested in the character, and the terror is very real to us. This is a step that most horror films neglect, the recognition that the most powerful fear may be the fear of fear itself.

When I was a teenager, I assumed that all good horror films had to have an R rating. Even as an adult, I was surprised that a movie as frightening as "The Sixth Sense" received only a PG-13. In hindsight, however, most of my favorite horror films, whatever their rating, have relatively little violence. Like all good horror films, "The Sixth Sense" allows the suspense to build and does not rely on either excessive violence or cheap scares. The ending adds an additional level of intrigue, but it is not necessary to one's enjoyment during the first viewing. Still, if you have not seen the film by now and remain woefully ignorant of the surprise lurking in its plot, I urge you, before someone ruins it for you, go and watch the movie!

Incredible

[Spirit-2 · 10/10 · 10 December 1999]

The Sixth Sense is one of those films that rarely happens these days. In other words, I knew so little about it before sitting in the cinema that it wasn't ruined before it started.

I don't want to ramble on about it so I'll just say... absolute perfection. An incredible story that had me and my friends gripped from start to finish. The twist in the tale was totally unexpected as well.

After it finished we sat through the whole of the credits and talked about how fabulous it was. If only more films were like this. I can't remember the last time we did that!

Congratulations to all involved in this masterpiece.

Brilliant

[indianajonze · 10/10 · 23 March 2000]

The Sixth Sense is a brilliant film, plain and simple. It is unique in that it relies on imagination and psychology to scare you and make you think twice about the world around you. The director did a fabulous job constructing the imagery of the film, and I genuinely did not know about the ending until it was revealed. Quite a shock! The Sixth Sense goes in my book as the single greatest psychological horror film I have ever seen. Anyone who bashes it are simply not giving it a chance or don't fully realize the complex dialog and imagery around them. Brilliant

You'll be knocked for six

[Joanna Kelly · 9/10 · 26 November 1999]

This is an incredibly powerful film. Awash with emotion but never stooping to sentimentality this is the story of one frightened little boy you will never forget. All your worst childhood nightmares: the noises in the attic, the intruder in your house, that cold breath that makes your hair stand on end are here and then some.

Bruce Willis gives one of the best performances of his career as the child psychologist trying to get himself back on track after a violent encounter with a former patient and it would be a crime if Haley Joel Osment were overlooked at coming awards ceremonies for his powerful performance here. It has been a long time since a child actor displayed such maturity in a role. Cole's innocent little face hidden behind his absent father's large-framed spectacles betrays a child coming to terms with a terrifying secret in the only way he can.

You don't need to go and see this film again to realise why the end is such a surprise but you will rush out to watch it again purely because it's an almost perfect example of it's genre.

Laugh, cry, jump a mile out of your seat, sigh with relief - but not too early... We did!

One of the best films of 1999!

[Xophianic · 9/10 · 3 February 2000]

I am embarrassed to admit that the only reason I saw THE SIXTH SENSE when I did was because THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was sold out. I hadn't seen BLAIR WITCH yet but I heard great reviews, and of course it was sold out when I went to see it. So my friend and I decided to see THE SIXTH SENSE instead. Not only did it turn out to be a better movie than BLAIR WITCH is, but it turned out to be one of my favorites.

THE SIXTH SENSE is about an award-winning child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), who is depressed because one of his former clients committed suicide because Crowe was unable to help him. Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is a child that has social problems frighteningly similar to Crowe's old client, so Crowe decides he will try to help this child in order to find redemption. Cole later reveals that this problem goes well beyond normal social problems. He claims to be able to see the ghosts of dead people, but no one else can.

The acting in THE SIXTH SENSE was superb. Olivia Williams does well as Anne Crowe, Willis' depressed wife, and Toni Collette does a great job as Lynn Sear, Osment's loving mother who is very concerned for her child. I think that Bruce Willis is at his very best in this movie, and I happen to be a fan of Willis. But I think that Haley Joel Osment stole the show. He did an amazing job, expressing more combined emotions that most adult actors have to deal with. He is definitely the best child actor I've ever seen, and I am glad that Bruce Willis let him have the spotlight.

The plot is very entertaining, though at times you may wonder where it is going. The ending is the best part of the movie, and it completely changes whatever you originally thought of the whole story line. I applaud the advertisers of THE SIXTH SENSE for not leaving a trace of the surprise ending in the previews of the movie (unlike DOUBLE JEOPARDY) and I certainly will not give it away in this comment. But I will say that it will completely surprise most all of you. (I think many that say that they saw it coming are probably lying.)

THE SIXTH SENSE is one of my favorite movies, and I think it is surely one of the best films of 1999. I hope it wins many Oscars this year, and I recommend that you go out and buy this movie now.

One of the films of the Nineties

[Readster · 10/10 · 8 December 1999]

This is perhaps my film of the decade so far. The reasons are too numerous to go into in such a short critique. Surely there have not been too many films that can take you through the range of emotions that the Sixth Sense does. The prime emotion; fear, is a difficult emotion to generate in a modern audience that has seen it all before, but this film succeeds where others fail, praying on your imagination and generating suspense from subtle devices rather than blatant horror.

It is such a relief that the performances of Willis and the excellent Osment live up to an excellently directed quality storyline. I will be disappointed if the youngster doesn't receive at least an academy nomination.

I seldom go to the cinema twice to watch a film, in fact I cannot remember when I have done it before. Tonight I am taking an old friend to see this film as it will be a tragedy if he doesn't see it on the big screen. He has heard so much about it that he is reluctant to go, as I am when something is over-hyped. Just for a change though, here is a film that lives up to its billing and has you thinking about it for weeks to come. As for the twist at the end? Well it totally disorientated me, my mind spinning back throughout the whole film. A fantastic punchline to my film of the year.

I got the ending before in the theaters, but good film

[peterwang-1 · 7/10 · 15 August 2022]

The Sixth Sense has a surprise ending ( many films will use this in the following years) but it's not all about the ending ( in contrary to certain other films that I will not name to avoid spoiling). The story on itself is very interesting but the ending is the cherry on the pie. Many who saw it the first time were in disbelief: is this right...? After re-watching it several times...yes it is. The plot is almost watertight. I suppose if you want to you can always find tiny little mistakes but I haven't found any big ones.

The Sixth Sense is unbelievably well cast: Bruce Willis delivers his 2nd best performance( 12 Monkeys is his best), debutant Haley Joel Osment is excellent( his performance in A. I is also excellent, other movies of his were mostly disappointing performances), Toni Colette delivers the first in a long series of Oscar-worthy performances (also see The Night Listener, The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine ao. ) and the performance of Donnie Wahlberg musn't be forgotten even though he only gets 3 minutes of screen time. Olivia Williams may be the only lesser performance in the lead cast but she still does an OK job.

We can see several Shyamalan's trademarks for the first time: He uses very natural colors( brown, white, gray, beige, green) in the interiors and clothing. Another trademark for his work is the fragmentary use of a rich red color to break with the dull colors in the background. He doesn't overuse the red so it preserves its power. We can also see Shyamalan's excellent use of colors in The Village ( even more then in the sixth sense): red stands for evil,misfortune and fear while yellow stands for weakness. The Village is M. Night's third best film in my opinion (Unbreakable is the one that closest approaches TSS brilliance). It's also unbelievably well-acted, the story is strong, the settings are beautiful...definitely worth watching ( if hope you have seen it but if you haven't...you know what to do). It's a bit under-appreciated on IMDb but don't let that fool you.

I'm no direction expert but I found it to be brilliant. The brilliance lies in the details; the excellent use of mirrors and shadows, the lighting, eccentric camera viewpoints,...it's a delight for a filmenthousiast( like yours truly) to watch. You can feel Shyamalan is both writer and director; he knows exactly what to do with the material and which camera shot would be best for which scene.

A Masterpiece

[finding-something · 10/10 · 22 March 2006]

A perfect balance. Sad, but not self-pitying. Triumphant, but not cheesy. Frightening, but never grotesque. Shocking, but not gimmicky. Touching without being cheap. Visually it is stunning. There are some truly amazing shots, the attention to color is appreciated. Haley Joel Osment as Cole is extraordinary. What a promising career ahead of him. Bruce Willis, as a workaholic child psychologist, ought to be extremely proud of this, as it may be some of his best work. Tender, brooding, regretful, determined. Perfect. Toni Collette, is really phenomenal. I think she gets overlooked, but with any less talented actress, the film would have certainly suffered.

I watched this film again recently, absolutely certain I would have lost some of the awe I had for it since last watching it on the big screen seven years ago. I was pleasantly surprised. It was just as moving, eerie, and beautiful. An obvious top five film of all time for me. Quite the freshman effort from Mr. Shayamalan.

Fair enough, but not the work of genius some claim

[pfgpowell-1 · 6/10 · 7 March 2011]

I hate to be a party pooper, but I really can't see what all the fuss is about. The Sixth Sense is an entertaining film, better than some, not as good as others, but it is most certainly not the masterpiece many seem to make it out to be. (Nor, for that matter, is it as bad as many here suggest.) If anything it is an intriguing story, and not original at that - read The Third Policeman - which is realised in a somewhat perfunctory way by Shaymalan. If anything it could have been done better. When I was considering my view of the film, the word 'ponderous' occurred to me more than once, and I think that is about right. The Sixth Sense needed a more delicate touch and, well, it should have been spookier. Having said all that the young lad who portrays young Cole, the boy who can see the dead, give an outstanding performance, and for once an American director has successfully resisted the temptation to make a child more cloying than a mug of treacle. His mother also does well as a harassed single mother, and Bruce Willis shows that there is more to his ability than shooting guns and posing in sweaty T shirts. But I have to repeat: The Sixth Sense is great for a night in but not the earth-shattering Meisterwerk others claim it to be. If anything, there is any number of plot holes which become rather glaring once the film has finished and overall it doesn't quite stack up as it should. But what the hell: that would be serious is it came anyway close to being a work of genius. As it doesn't, those plot holes don't really matter.

That ending was unbelievable!!! Meaning i didnt buy it.

[slothfratelli · 5/10 · 9 August 2000]

The Sixth Sense is the most overrated film is years - it is a rehash of every horror movie prior. Opened drawers all of a sudden (= poltergeist switching chairs with drawers), dead people walking around (=zombie movies - anything!). The kid is good but Bruce Willis doesnt show any emotions at all. A good performance they all say - what did he do but walk around solemnly. What is so good about this movie? The ending they all say. SPOILERS: So Bruce Willis never once had a shower in sixth months and noticed the bloody-big bullet hole in his chest rubbing that stinging soap into his gaping wound? He never once went to buy some groceries and wondered why the shop assistant didnt demand or take his money - just ignored him? He never talked to his wife once? He didnt think how rude Toni Collette was for not talking to him? She let him into her apartment and sat opposite him not doing anything at all. Either Willis is retarded or this movie blows. I think the latter. Ive given a low rating to bring this average down. Its not that i rank this movie alongside Streetfighter, Mac and Me, and The Secret Agent club, its not that bad. Its just that its not that good either and im annoyed about everyone going on and on and on about it all the time. Ciao.

The most careful attention to detail

[Steve Steckel · 25 October 2000]

What makes this film so wonderful to watch is not simply the acting, or the terror it instills, or even the plot itself. It is the way in which the writer/director M. Night Shyamalan takes his vision from the page, and carefully crafts a tale that completely absorbs the viewer. As a result, we are treated to a wealth of emotion: fear, sadness, joy, confusion, and humor, each one a compliment to the other.

Haley Joel Osment delivers, plain and simple. By now, so much has been said about the young actor that any more would be repetition. Needless to say, his portrayal of Cole Sear is remarkable. His ability to communicate, through a simple look or gesture, the depths to which his character's soul has been thrust is what truly carries the film. He succeeds at this task beautifully, convincing us while never going over the top; indeed, by the time Cole utters his now-famous line, you not only believe him, you are chilled by the fact that Osment the actor may actually believe it himself.

Bruce Willis turns in a stellar performance, complimenting his young co-star while never overshadowing him. It is a tribute to his respect of the material in so much as he fine tunes his delivery to seem reserved, yet not too toned down.

The Sixth Sense is more than simply a wondrous two hours. It has, in effect, created a new genre of filmmaking... the film is neither drama, nor horror, nor action. Rather, it is a seamless blending of all three, a film that encompasses the best aspects of each genre, without being limited by the worst. Hollywood has taken notice of this, and one can only expect a series of poor imitations to follow. But at least they'll always have The Sixth Sense to guide the way.

one of the greatest reveals of all time

[SnoopyStyle · 10/10 · 7 September 2015]

Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) celebrates an award win with his wife Anna (Olivia Williams). Deranged ex-patient Vincent Grey (Donnie Wahlberg) breaks in and shots Malcolm. Vincent then commits suicide. The next fall, Malcolm is treating distressed Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who lives with his single mom Lynn (Toni Collette). His suffering leaves him an outcast at school. After another episode leaves him in the hospital, he tells Malcolm his secret that he "sees dead people".

This is one of the best reveals in movie history. It's not simply a shocking twist. Anybody can write a random twist that aims to shock people. This twist is well-planned and constructed from the first moments of the film. Shyamalan lays out not only clues but the right amount of clues. It is a twist that people are unlikely to foresee but then beat themselves for not forseeing it. He gets the perfect balance.

The other question is whether this is a good movie without the twist. The great thing is that the intensity does not rely on the twist. HJO has the perfect wise innocence quality. It has great creepiness. It's a traditional ghost story and a well made one. The intensity ramps up as the ghosts reveal themselves. This would be one of the great horrors even without the twist.

Brilliantly crafted and well worth seeing....unless some idiot told you THE secret!

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 11 July 2011]

I am making 100% sure I don't in any way reveal the surprise twist in this film--too many have and I think those people are evil. So, if you know THE twist, you'll probably not enjoy the film nearly as much when you first see it. But, if you haven't, it's a heck of an enjoyable film.

Haley Joel Osment delivers a truly amazing performance considering his age. He is THE reason the film works as well as it does and I wish the Oscar folks had given him some sort of special award to honor his great work. And, in addition, I can't believe I am saying this, but Bruce Willis and the director, M. Night Shyamalan, were at the top of their game as well. The other huge star here is the writing--and it was superb because it was so original, creative and the story bears many repeated viewings as each one reveals yet another layer of complexity.

By the way, while nominated for six Oscars, the movie somehow won none. Instead, the darkly cynical "American Beauty" carried off five of the trophies--though I really didn't think this winner was nearly as good a movie. Good, yes...but not great like "The Sixth Sense"....provided some moron didn't tell you THE secret.

M. Night Shyalaman's standout movie.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 8 November 2023]

Cole Sear had a special gift, the ability to see dead people, his mother Lynn is worried beyond belief at the change in him, and Child Psychologist Malcolm Crowe is brought in to help him.

For my money, this is still the best film from M Night. Shyalaman, since this film some have been good, some of been woeful, this however has stood the test of time.

A real mind bender, this film is thought provoking, dramatic, unsettling at times, and on occasion a little moving.

Arguably one of the best films for Bruce Willis, he's tremendous here, as are Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment.

I would never dream of giving a spoiler away, as some have done in their reviews, there's a big moment in this film, where everything falls into place, it's very skillfully done, and a real jaw dropping moment.

9/10.

The reason why everyone loved Shyamalan back then!!

[NpMoviez · 10/10 · 15 August 2019]

Shyamalan at his very best! I said it, I don't care what people think. Many people claim Unbreakable to be his best film till date, but for me, as much as I love Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense will always remain as the best Shyamalan had to offer.

Good : It's his masterpiece. Shyamalan has never been better. What does it not have? Emotions, drama, character development, storytelling, great writing + directing, all of it. Willis does a really good job. It is perhaps the first time I saw him in a role like this, one of the best examples of casting against type. The arc of the child played by Osment and that of Willis have been given full justice. Seeing them help each other overcome their problems and fears in the way they did was very good. There are some emotional moments which hit the right notes, all because we have known the characters very well. We get a happy ending for the kid, and while expecting something similar for Willis, we get the infamous twist. The first time I watched it, I was blown away. It feels kind of obvious having it watched so many times now, but man was it incredible! Bruce was dead all the time. This made me analyze some parts. Bruce died with the bullet on his abdomen, and in a scene where he is getting out of a flower shop seeing his wife with another guy, he is clutching the exact place where he was hit. And in every scene after he was shot, his interactions with his wife feel and are obviously him talking to her, but her talking to herself. For a first few views, it is unnoticeable. And, it doesn't even feel that way. Also, Willis is not interacting with physical object. What I thought of a plot hole in the first few viewings were actually genius writing and directing. And I would also like to talk about the horror aspect. It's something I call genuine horror. There are creepy stuff going on and you don't know what is actually happening. It's not a horror movie but has got the elements perfectly. And of all the emotional parts, the final moments after the twist hit perfectly. I wonder why this wasn't an Oscar worthy film.

Bad : Not necessarily bad about the film. But Shyamalan was called the next Spielberg after this film. His next great film was Unbreakable, followed by Split. Split was good, but nowhere near the former two, which was leaps and bounds better than Signs and Glass. And besides these, I don't even want to name the rest of his disasters. I still think he can make real good films, but comparing most of his films, I sadly feel that he was no Spielberg but just a one hit wonder.

Conclusion : It's the greatest Shyamalam film ever. Unbreakable is a close second. Those who think Shyamalan didn't have any potential must watch this. It is just that Shyamalan must have stayed this way. Also, any thriller fans out there? Watch this immediately, if you haven't watched it.

Rating.

Score : absolute 10/10

Grade : A+

Wanna See Dead People?

[WCS02 · 8/10 · 6 August 1999]

"I see Dead People!" Sixth Sense is well worth the ticket price. It's a tight story and the acting is outstanding. There are a couple of good scares, rendered more effective because I dropped my guard. My sixth sense says such was the Writer/Director's express intention. :-)

It's a ghost story yet doesn't rely on special effects and computerization to chill your bones as the Haunting tried to do. The scares come from the sliver of possibility "what is happening may be true." Well that, and the dropping your guard thing.

Everyone in the cast is outstanding. Bruce Willis is at his best since Die Hard and The Last Boy Scout. His patient is 33 years junior to him ( played by Haley Joel Osment) is outstanding. Truly. I was mesmerized by his ability to get into this "sixth sense" possessed character. Malcolm and Cole helping each other resolve their problems occurs with good chemistry, and is believable, despite the heights you have to take your mind to believe the story's premise.

I am sooo tempted to give clues on when to grip the one you're with or arms rests a little more tightly; but alas, cannot in good conscience (or for fear of hate mail!) And out of respect for M. Night Shyamalan for a very good script and story thesis.

Summing: if you're "only" looking for the Chill Factor, take in Blair Witch over this one for those final 10 minutes. The reality factor is stronger, both despite and because of the low budget factors. But if you want to see one of the best Hollywood manufactured horror films in a long time, give Sixth Sense a chance. I enjoyed it.

I'm not one to watch a movie twice...

[Sterling52 · 9/10 · 1 September 2008]

...but I had to watch this one again, right afterward, because I needed to go back and watch for clues. Honestly, and I won't give away the 'ah ha!' moment, but I knew that he was... well, you know, what he was. What I didn't get was how that was possible, or how the interaction with the others that I saw... so I had to go back and watch the movie AGAIN, just to make sure there were no errors in the filming of it. Sure enough, I found none that I could call an error, and was totally blown away with how this was filmed. I am a writer, and I also adapt novels for scripts, and when something like this comes along, that something that just totally grabs me and says, "This is something special... this is not the ordinary..." well, I am impressed. I aspire to write something that can really AH HA! someone in this way. I recommend the movie, highly.

Realising the plot twist early ruined the experience.

[jacobhaubjerg · 7/10 · 17 August 2022]

I had heard great things about this movie, but I didn't know that there would be a plot twist. Just after the opening scene I wondered how Malcolm hadn't died from the gunshot wound and then when Cole says that he sees dead people, I instantly realised that Malcolm must be a ghost. From there on the movie became pretty dull, since I was just waiting for a big reveal at the end.

I'm pretty disappointed that my viewing experience was destroyed by realising the plot twist so early.

Apart from that, I still think that the cinematography, music and acting was superb.

It's all in the ending

[mjw2305 · 10/10 · 2 February 2005]

Cole (Haley Joel Osment) is a young boy troubled by an affliction, he can see the dead all around him, for much of the time and he is labelled a freak by everyone except his mother. Haley Joel Osment puts in such a fine performance in this role, it is hard to believe he is a child.

Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a highly acclaimed child psychologist, who's relationship with his wife is in trouble and his ability in his profession is diminished as a result. A different role for Willis, but he proves he doesn't have to be all action all of the time, with his remarkable performance.

Crowe becomes Cole's therapist, and is faced with personal demons from a previous patient of his, a very similar patient to Cole, and Crowe has to figure out how to help him, however horrific the truth is.

M. Night Shyamalan both wrote and directed this movie, and he helps provide an Ora that is extremely tense and spine chilling throughout.

All in all the movie was very good in every way and would have scored 7 or 8 as a supernatural thriller, but then came the ending, well it's more of a revelation. It is simply wonderful, and you will want to see the film again, to find out exactly how they hid it from you, and the fact is they hid it well and didn't cheat in the slightest.

10/10

With The Benefit Of Hindsight

[carladionizi · 6/10 · 12 January 2010]

"The 6th Sense" was a big hit in 1999, Oscar nominations, the lot. Now I finally seen it and I must say that with the benefit of hindsight, the only startling thing about the film is the introduction of the sensational Haley Joel Osment. Plus, a terrific performance by Toni Collette. Other than that, the film is a mess. Am I wrong? A clever designed twist at the end seems to justify, clumsiness of major proportions. Just look at that wake where Haley reveals the message from the dead girl. Unforgivably lame. All the jolts are underline by a vulgar strike in the music score department. Really bad. Mr Night Shaymalan got very luck in 1999 and has not been able to repeat its fortune since, no matter the obvious, desperate attempts to grab another jackpot. "The Happening" was unwatchable, "Lady In The Water" the work of someone with a an alarming mounting ego. "Signs" another clumsy, half cooked semi idea. Strange, how time puts things in perspective. I was recently reminded that "The Towering Inferno" was also, in its day, nominated for an Oscar as the best film of its day.

Overrated

[yoyodinepropulsion · 4/10 · 28 October 2001]

CONTAINS SPOILER Let me start by saying the Sixth Sense is a good movie. A GOOD movie, not a great one. I'm not sure how this one got so big, I mean, yes it's got that nice twist, but it's also somewhat predictable and (SPOILER AHEAD!) comepletely ludicrous if you think about it. Think about it! seriously. This movie reminds me of Arlington Road and Reindeer Games in that the movie doesn't make sense if you sit down and rationally think about it. I mean, Bruce Willis has been dead for a year, an entire year. Don't you think he'd notice, particualrly that NO ONE talks to him, NO ONE except Osment! At one point, he says he "barely talks" to his wife anymore. Well, "barely" is different than "none" which would be the reality. Maybe I'm being too critical, but to me, a GREAT movie, like voters here have determined this is by putting it in the top 50 of ALL TIME, should really hold up to repeat viewings. I really have a feeling time is going to trivialize this one and reveal what it really is: a smart, but slow, effective thriller.

One final note: while the Sixth Sense got way too much hype, UNBREAKABLE didn't get nearly enough. UNBREAKABLE is a far better film, although it has its flaws as well. Instead of being a solid genre piece like THE SIXTH SENSE though, it really is amazingly original.