Review of The Sixth Sense (1999) by Turner E — 02 Jun 2013

The Sixth Sense:

*****.

Over ten years ago M.Night Shyamalan was the king of movies. His films were both praised by critics and audiences for their intriguing plots and provoking twists. Unfortunately, after the Village (2004) was panned by critics for a twist ending that ruined the story, he began a downward spiral of horrible films. Lady in the Water, The Happening, and The Last Airbender were all considered major disappointments from both fans and critics. It got so bad that the advertisers for his new film, After Earth tried really hard to hide the fact the Shymalan even directed the film. Seeing how badly his film is doing at the box office and with film critics, I thought I Should review his second and most praised film, The Sixth Sense.

The film follows and psychiatrist, played by Bruce Willis, who is assigned to work with a troubled young boy named Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment. But as it turns out, the boy's problems don't stem from a psychological issue, but a supernatural problem. Cole can see the spirits of the dead and it's up to the doctor to try and help the young boy deal with his incredibly difficult ability.

Almost everyone has heard of knows the famous twist ending. In fact it's become a stable for most of M.Night's movies to have a twist ending whether they need it or not. But the reason this film succeeds is not just because it has a great twist. The writing and acting help elevate the story to new heights. The relationship between the two main characters is the heart of the story, and it's hard not to care for these two. While Osmant may not have had a great career after reaching adulthood, this film is a reminder of how much talent he has. It's one of the great performances from a child actor in film history. It's quite an accomplishment that someone so young could act with such range and heart in a role that would be hard for adults to pull off.

The film is a great horror and psychological thriller. M.Night may never recover his career, but the Sixth Sense is at least a reminder that he did have some talent for filmmaking.