Movie/DVD Review: The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense was the second movie by M. Night Shyamalan but was really his breakout hit, mainly because he was able to cast Bruce Willis in a role that was 180 degrees from the character he played in the Die Hard franchise. It stars the aforementioned Willis as a child psychologist named Malcolm Crowe who starts counseling a young boy named Cole (played by Haley Joel Osment) who is acting out both at home and school, much to the distress of his mother (played by Toni Collette). Cole eventually confides a secret to Malcolm, and Malcolm tries to figure out how to help Cole, while also trying to get ahold of his personal life with his estranged wife (played by Olivia Williams).

As I said above the movie was a complete reversal from the action roles that Willis was most well-known for, and really showed off his acting range. At that point, he was entering the "aging action star" phase of his career, so this role was a good way for him to branch out. Osment shined in his first major acting role and brought a gravitas to the screen despite being so young. He had to pull off being scared, angry, worried, and happy, and make it all believable. Of course, as most know by now there is a twist ending that Shyamalan has made a staple of pretty much every movie he has done subsequent to this one. While I think some of them have gone overboard, this one was done perfectly and set up in a subtle enough way that it could be surprising to many people but still seem obvious. 

For those who get the original DVD release, the extras include several featurettes on the cast, the music, and the storyboarding process. It also has deleted scenes, a conversation with the director, and the trailer. A decent amount for those who like the bonus material but not hours of material.

Overall, the movie is well written and wonderfully acted. It was a totally original story at the time it was released, and it still holds up 20 years on as a great movie, even if most people know the ending now. If you have not seen it, try to stay spoiler-free and enjoy. If you have seen it, it is definitely worth revisiting from time to time.