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The Sixth Sense

Play trailer 2:16 Poster for The Sixth Sense PG-13 Released Aug 6, 1999 1h 47m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 168 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something unexplainable.
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The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense

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Critics 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.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times A film that left an indelible footprint on the popular culture, a film that remains one of my favorite titles of the 1990s in any genre... Aug 9, 2024 Full Review Joshua Rothkopf In These Times At root, his films are patient vindications of crazy faiths, of ghosts and comic book heroes. Loneliness is his theme, and when blessed with courageous performers, as in The Sixth Sense, he can take us just about anywhere. Mar 16, 2020 Full Review Stephen Hunter Washington Post You leave slightly asquirm. You know it will linger. It becomes a clammy, chilly movie building toward a revelation that you cannot predict. As I say: I cannot tell you. You'd hate me if I did. I can only say, don't look now, but look sometime. Oct 7, 2014 Full Review Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast All these years later, The Sixth Sense still holds up as an all around great film. The film powerfully portrays the emotional journeys of three separate characters without short-changing any of their stories. Rated: 5/5 Mar 5, 2025 Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness The film remains a strong and engaging tale, one worthy of its reputation and a rewatch. But this release is not worth the upgrade. Oct 20, 2024 Full Review Noah Berlatsky Splice Today The film’s an extended exercise in flattering the fooled viewer for being a viewer and for being fooled. Aug 5, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Julian Rex M Logic-skips and unfittingly abrupt plot-twist aside, The Sixth Sense holds up as a strong and unexpectedly moving entry into the horror-thriller genre for M. Night Shyamalan that benefits largely from its refreshingly youth-centered execution and Haley Joel Osment's outstanding performance. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/14/25 Full Review Benjamin S Great acting, unique, creepy, iconic. An absolute must watch. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/25 Full Review Christian S Gostei muito da vibe e da história e mensagem que esse filme transmite, simplesmente um clássico 👏 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/04/25 Full Review Audience Member I love this movie, because it touches on what the afterlife might truly be like. And I couldn't help making this connection in my heart and my soul! As if it were true. Some kind of spiritual familiarity we lost or forgot about along the way. Some kind of familiarity we all know is true in our hearts! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/25 Full Review FINEZZER F M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" is, at its core, a cinematic paradox. It is a film that simultaneously transcends and succumbs to the limitations of its genre, a work of art that, despite its eventual narrative predictability, manages to enshrine itself in the annals of modern horror. While the modern astute viewer may readily discern the central "reveal" before the climactic moment, the true genius of the picture resides not in its narrative sleight-of-hand, but rather in the meticulous architectonics of its suspense, the resonant performances, and the hauntingly elegiac exploration of grief, guilt, and the ethereal boundaries of human perception. To dismiss "The Sixth Sense" as merely a well-executed genre piece would be a profound disservice. It is, in its essence, a meditation on the psychological ramifications of trauma and the desperate human need for connection, even with the intangible. Dr. Malcolm Crowe, expertly portrayed by Bruce Willis with a restrained gravitas that belies the character's internal turmoil, is a man adrift in a sea of unresolved emotional baggage. His professional success – a testament to his empathetic understanding of the human psyche – is tragically juxtaposed against his personal isolation. The narrative expertly establishes Crowe's vulnerability from the outset, highlighting his inability to fully grasp the insidious nature of his own fractured reality. This vulnerability allows the audience to become complicit in the film's gradual unveiling of truth, mirroring the character's own harrowing journey. The film's visual language, masterfully orchestrated by Shyamalan, is crucial to its success. The dark color palette, the deliberate use of shadows, and the unsettling stillness of the mise-en-scène create an atmosphere of palpable unease. The camera, often employing low-angle shots and lingering close-ups, subtly reinforces the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that pervades both the physical and emotional landscapes of the characters. These visual cues, combined with James Newton Howard's haunting score, function as a subliminal symphony of dread, gradually escalating the tension with each passing scene. This deliberate construction of atmosphere, characteristic of classic psychological thrillers, is a masterclass in cinematic tension-building, a testament to Shyamalan's profound understanding of the power of suggestion. The character of Cole Sear, the young boy burdened with the ability to "see dead people," played with astonishing maturity by Haley Joel Osment, serves as the emotional fulcrum of the narrative. Osment's performance is nothing short of revelatory; his portrayal of Cole is a nuanced blend of fear, resilience, and profound loneliness. He embodies the burden of his spectral communion, conveying a sense of tragic isolation that resonates even after the credits have roled. Cole is not merely a vessel for supernatural phenomena; he is a representation of the unspoken traumas that haunt the living, a conduit through which the film explores the complexities of grief and the desperate need for closure. His scenes with the revered Toni Collette are particularly compelling, demonstrating a deep understanding of the actor-director symbiosis. The film's employment of traditional psychological thriller tropes is not merely derivative; rather, it represents a skillful reappropriation of established conventions. Shyamalan understands that familiarity breeds anticipation, and he deftly manipulates the audience's expectations, using the familiar elements of the genre – the jump scares, the unsettling sound design, the ambiguous character motivations – to heighten the sense of unease and anticipation. The iconic imagery, like the ghostly apparitions and the chilling pronouncements of the dead, transcends the realm of simple shock value, contributing to the film's overarching exploration of fear, vulnerability, and the fragility of the human mind. Furthermore, the film’s narrative structure, employing the red herring with expert precision, deliberately misdirects the viewer, allowing the core premise to be disguised as it unfolds. While the observant viewer might anticipate the resolution before the final act, the journey itself, not the destination, is where the film truly triumphs. The gradual accretion of evidence, the subtle clues embedded within the lack of dialogue and visual cues, compels the audience to participate actively in the unravelling of the mystery. This active engagement enhances the film's impact, allowing viewers to become more emotionally invested in the characters and the narrative arc. In conclusion, "The Sixth Sense" is a triumph of cinematic storytelling, a skillfully crafted exploration of the human life, and the lingering echoes of the unseen. While its pivotal plot twist may be somewhat predictable, its artistic achievements lie in its masterful suspense, its compelling performances, and its profound thematic resonance. It is a film that lingers in the memory, not just for its scares, but for its hauntingly beautiful portrayal of human vulnerability, and its exploration of the enduring, yet ultimately comforting, power of connection. It is, for all its spectral inhabitants, a deeply human story, which warrants, in my considered opinion, the score I have assigned: 91%. A near flawless masterpiece. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Aleksandar D How did a man that directed this cult movie direct Trap as well. Is it because as he grew older he lost his touch for cinema or was it something else? Incredible. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Sixth Sense

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Movie Info

Synopsis Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something unexplainable.
Director
M. Night Shyamalan
Producer
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Barry Mendel
Screenwriter
M. Night Shyamalan
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Hollywood Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Violent Imagery|Intense Thematic Material)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 6, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$293.5M
Runtime
1h 47m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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