Review of The Sixth Sense (1999) by Benskylerhill — 27 May 2018

Yes, believe it or not, there was a time before M. Night Shyamalan completely gave up! The Sixth Sense is among the greatest writer-directorial debuts in cinema history, building chilling suspense while simultaneously possessing a plethora of genuine heart.

When it comes to storytelling, The Sixth Sense really shows Shyamalan drawing inspiration from Hitchcock, and it works to near-perfection. It’s a slow-building, character-driven thriller that leads the audience down the same path of discovery and tense fright that is experienced by those on screen. A great deal of the exposition is non-verbal, relying instead on subtle visual clues and clever foreshadowing that make for a much more personal, intellectual viewing experience. Shyamalan trusts his audience and it’s always so refreshing to see a film like this.

This splendid pacing is pulled off thanks to fantastic editing and direction that always aligns the audiences’s perspective with that of the characters. The spine-tingling score from James Newton Howard and gripping, raw dialogue further anchor the narrative in reality and it sucked me in. I was hooked from the opening scene and was deeply invested in the personal struggles of these people.

While by no means perfect, The Sixth Sense is a gem of supernatural horror. It’s strong characters do suffer a bit from some scenes of weak acting, but it’s not overly distracting and they are well-written enough to mostly overshadow any flaws the film has.

Story: 10.

Acting: 8.

Script: 10.

Visuals/Sound: 9.

Entertainment Value: 10.

OVERALL SCORE: 9.