Classy, creepy and cunnningly constructed, Shyamalan's film offers melacholy pleasures and some genuinely effective scares. A quality Hollywood offering and a massive hit.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:126
Fresh:107
Rotten:19
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: M Night Shayamalan's The Sixth Sense is a twisty ghost story with all the style of a classical Hollywood picture, but all the chills of a modern horror flick.
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: In M. Night Shyamalan's THE SIXTH SENSE, Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a successful Philadelphia child psychologist who is haunted by the sudden reappearance and suicide of a former... In M. Night Shyamalan's THE SIXTH SENSE, Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a successful Philadelphia child psychologist who is haunted by the sudden reappearance and suicide of a former patient. Months later Dr. Crowe encounters Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled, withdrawn young boy who bears a striking similarity to his earlier patient. Dr. Crowe is compelled to help Cole, not only for the boy's sake, but for his own redemption. As Dr. Crowe struggles to determine what torments Cole, he must also come to terms with his increasingly distant relationship to his wife (Olivia Williams). Meanwhile, Cole is unable to describe the horrible things he sees even to his worried mother (Toni Collette). The scene where Cole finally tells Dr. Crowe about his supernatural secret is one of the 1990s most quoted and well-known cinematic moments. A gripping ghost story with a stunning finale, THE SIXTH SENSE became a surprise blockbuster shortly after its release. The film features Oscar-nominated performances by the startlingly intense Osment and the fiercely maternal Collette, as well as a subtle, subdued turn by Willis. Shyamalan directs his intriguing script with almost clinical precision, using carefully framed visuals to create the film's distinctly chilling atmosphere. On the strength of its pitch-perfect acting and direction, THE SIXTH SENSE has become the most successful thriller of all time. [More]
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Donnie Wahlberg, Mischa Barton, Trevor Morgan, Glenn Fitzgerald
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenwriter: M. Night Shyamalan
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Barry Mendel
Composer: James Newton Howard
Reviews for The Sixth Sense
A poignant study of the searing pain caused by loss, this all-too-human horror film provokes tears as well as fears.
But what finally elevates the film above its shaggy dog tale roots then, is not the exceptionally well-wrought reversal, but a performance from Haley Joel Osment that is simply one of the finest given by a child in any film.
One of the characters in this pointless movie has supernatural visions, and audience members are sharing the affliction -- unfathomably.
This ghost stuff works on a deeper level than the gross-out, and it’s nice that Hollywood has rediscovered the art of the soul-freezing scare.
An excellent premiere for new director M. Night Shyamalan as he packs a punch with a great story, excellent directing, a great cast, great performances, and a surprise ending that will leave you breathless for days on end.
M. Night Shyamalan neutralizes Willis's star presence with impressive plotting that's a fine excuse for the powerful atmosphere.
An effectively understated and moodily engrossing ghost film with a surprisingly satisfying jolt at the end.
The screenplay, with its terrific scares and its amazing double-whammy at the end, is a grand achievement.
Intelligence and substance in a summer horror flick? Who'd of thought it.
The Sixth Sense will convince you that spooky movies can be exciting, chilling, mysterious, and rewarding.
Much more than a one-trick puzzle movie the logic holds emotionally and narratively, and Shyamalan brings satisfying closure to all his characters and their sorrows.
Elegantly shot, admirably acted, and well-scored... but when The Sixth Sense leaves the character-study path, its weaknesses and essential arrogance are most obvious.
Shyamalan relies on gradually charging the atmosphere until an electrifying ending.
This disturbing thriller is distinguished by the moving performance of Haley Joel Osment.
It is the only film I've seen that gives you the creeps and the warm fuzzies all at the same time.
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