Seeing as this movie was a recommendation from my father, I went into it with low expectations. I thought, if a man who watches the same house tour videos every night recommends it, this movie is probably going to be really underwhelming. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Sixth Sense, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a psychological thriller that follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) months after getting shot by a patient he treated for hallucinations. As his wife grows distant, Malcolm juggles his attention between her and Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who claims to see dead people and who shares many similarities to Crowe’s previous patient whose death was partly caused by the psychologist’s own negligence.

Willis’s depiction of Malcom Crowe is phenomenal and Osment’s performance is both astounding and unsettling, especially considering his age at the time. Only a devoted actor could portray such a troubled and complex character so convincingly.

At its heart, the premise of the film is quite terrifying, a childhood fear comes to life; being haunted by the dead. However, the jumpscares aren’t frequent and the occasional glimpse of gore is not excessive. Through Shyamalan’s guidance it became so much more than just a scary movie. 

Looking back, the slow start was a necessity, it set up the characters and setting gradually. The Sixth Sense distributes details about the characters evenly throughout, revealing only what is essential in the moment. This not only influenced my interpretations of the characters as it progressed but ultimately made the finale even more satisfying which revealed an incredibly well written plot twist that I and many others consider to be one of the most impactful scenes.

Overall, The Sixth Sense is a work of art. Every action was intricately planned and perfectly executed by Shyamalan. This film is timeless and well deserving of any praise or awards given to it throughout the years. 5/5