Review of The Sixth Sense (1999) by Darrin C — 04 Mar 2015
Cunning, superbly acted modern thriller that was a surprisingly huge commercial success and was among the best of the genre from that period. Bruce Willis is a child psychologist who wants to help a withdrawn, fatherless boy (Haley Joel Osment), who claims to see ghosts.
Set in Philadelphia during the fall, the young writer-director M Night Shyamalan has a strong feel for atmosphere and the ominous. Unlike most modern thrillers, the pacing is deliberate but it never feels ponderous.
Shyamalan is in love with clever plot twists, which would become a detriment later in his career, but in this instance, the revelation is impeccably sustained and doesn't feel like a cheap gimmick.
Willis and Osment give impressively low-key performances. Cinematography by Tak Fujimoto; Music is by James Newton Howard. With Toni Collette as Osment's mother, Olivia Williams as Willis's wife, and Donnie Wahlberg as a troubled former patient.
This review of The Sixth Sense (1999) was written by Darrin C on 04 Mar 2015.
The Sixth Sense has generally received very positive reviews.
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