It's funny to reflect back on the legacy of The Sixth Sense twenty years later. It's a movie that is so overshadowed by it's twist ending, and to be fair it is a doozy. But initially when it was released, it didn't have a lot of buzz behind it. From the trailers, it looked like another Bruce Willis saves a troubled kid movie that bore a striking resemblance to another recent Bruce Willis movie, Mercury Rising, that had been greeted by audiences with a collective shrug. But word of mouth quickly spread from people who did see it, telling other people they needed to see it too. That was how I initially saw the film as I was dragged to the theater by my friend who insisted I had to see it. Needless to say, I was blown away by one of the more tightly plotted supernatural thrillers I have ever seen.
Celebrated Child Psychologist Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis) is injured in his home in a confrontation with a disturbed former patient, Vincent (played by Donnie Wahlberg), that broke in. Several months later, he encounters a kid named Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment) who Malcolm realizes shares several traits with that same former patient. Quiet, withdrawn and clearly troubled, he also displays bruises and scratches he can't or won't explain to the worry of his mother Lynn (played by Toni Collette). Slowly, Malcolm is able to gain the trust of Cole who opens up to him and tells him what is going on...he can see ghosts. Initially, he doesn't believe Cole but as he reviews old session files with Vincent and recordings of their sessions, he discovers the tapes picked up voices of ghosts speaking to Vincent. Convinced, Malcolm sets out to try and help Cole find a way to cope with his abilities and in the process find out what these spirits want from the boy.
The film was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and he has created a carefully plotted movie that keeps it's focus squarely on it's characters rather than the scares (although there are some solid ones in this film too). I loved the way he took his time establishing his characters, especially with Malcolm and Cole and the way their bond grows over the film. Because we care about the characters, that only heightens the drama and the scares. The way the film is structured is very interesting as well and how it carefully reveals it's secrets. Upon rewatching the film for this review, I was struck with the realization that we never see any of the ghosts until Cole tells Malcolm, and by extension us the viewer, about his ability. We see what they do, but we don't actually see the ghosts ourselves until after that pivotal scene. I thought this was a really clever touch.
The film has a phenomenal cast led by a very much against type Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe. I don't think I've seen as gentle and subdued performance from Willis before this film or after. It's one of his best performances, especially compared to now where he is basically just collecting paychecks and phoning it in in most of the movies he appears in. Haley Joel Osment has a star making turn as Cole Sear. He is so endearing as Cole, who has become withdrawn and is frequently terrified by the ghosts he sees. He does a great job showing Cole's growth throughout the film with Malcolm's help. Toni Collette gives a fantastic performance who desperately wants to help her son but isn't sure how to. You really get the sense of despair her character is going through, especially when a doctor she takes Cole to see suggests he might be abused after seeing the scratches and bruises.
The Sixth Sense still holds up 20 years later as a fantastic thriller and drama. It's scares may be infrequent, but the ones that it has are quite good. But more than that, the film has a strong and genuinely moving story backed with fantastic performances from a great cast. It's still a movie I have fond memories of seeing in the theater all those years ago. It was a movie that really was a sleeper hit of 1999 as word of mouth spread from those who saw it. I wound up seeing it twice in the theater myself as I went back bringing my brother along with me. The whole time I was half watching the movie, half watching his reactions. It was just that kind of movie. And surprisingly, it still holds up to multiple viewings too. I enjoyed it just as much now as I did the first time I saw it all those years ago.
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