I didn't really know what to expect when I bought The Sixth Sense on DVD. Having been told by so many people how great it was, but having never seen it in the cinema, I hopped along to my local MVC knowing that I could take it back should I dislike it.
Needless to say, The Sixth Sense has firmly stayed with me ever since I got it home and eagerly unwrapped it and stuck it into the player. All I had really heard was that it was a film about ghosts. The 15 Certificate immediately made me think that I was about to sit through an hour and a half of pointless teen-horror, with Bruce Willis involved in it somewhere along the line.
The acting in this film is superb. Willis truly shows that he has more in him than 'Die Hard'. He plays the part of Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a celebrated child psychologist. The movie begins and we understand how Dr. Crowe failed to help one particular boy overcome his disorder - with tragic consequences. Shortly after, Crowe meets Cole (stunningly performed by Haley Joel Osment - Possibly the only child actor I have ever thought 'wow' about). Cole seems to be a very strange, lonely little boy. He spends his time in church, creating his own imaginary world in which his toy soldiers fight. Malcom realises that this is no ordinary child imagination - Cole is creating detailed and realistic ideas behind all his characters much like a novel (As a deleted scene on the disc shows, Cole gets very emotional about his characters, and bursts into tears when one dies).
Bruce Willis always comes across as a very caring man, who is struggling between his relationship with his wife and Cole. His sense of failure from his previous patient drives him to help this one. He soon learns that Cole has no disorder, and is actually an extremely gifted young boy with a secret he has never told anybody.
It's hard to describe a genre for this film to fall into. Psychological Thriller is about as close as it gets. It isn't a frightening ghost story at all, in fact it takes a very different slant on the idea of ghosts. There is a strong sense of moral behind the story in that Cole learns to help people and not be afraid of them just because they seem different.
The Sixth Sense features the most interesting plot twist in any film. Once you've seen the twist it's easier to understand the signs leading up to it - you definitely have to watch the film twice to understand exactly what was going on!
The disc is full of extras including brilliant deleted scenes (some of which i would have loved to have seen in the movie, I think they are fantastic), interviews, storyboard comparison, trailers and biographies.
The Director, M. Night Shyamalan went on to direct Unbreakable - also starring Bruce Willis. Although undoubtedly The Sixth Sense is the stronger of the two films, they follow a near identical format, building up to the twist and then a sudden explosion of overwhelming thoughts for the viewer after that.
Don't hesitate to buy this masterpiece. Even if this won't make you scream in horror, it will make you jump a few times and will leave you with a million thoughts in your head. Watch it twice to fully appreciate it.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: John Duigan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz
Second time round you wonder why you didn't predict the first time. Great film!
Good review
lora44 05.04.2005 02:06
I love this film - I just couldn't help thinking how clever the twist is - you're right about watching it twice - I had to just to work out how I hadn't figured it out sooner! Great op! Lora x
"I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), scared to affirm what ... more
is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked nine-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psy...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
"I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), scared to affirm what ... more
is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked nine-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psy...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
"I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), scared to affirm what ... more
is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked nine-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psy...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![The Sixth Sense [DVD] [1999] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/70104378.jpg "The Sixth Sense [DVD] [1999] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]")
![The Sixth Sense [DVD] [1999]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/80416193.jpg "The Sixth Sense [DVD] [1999]")
![The Sixth Sense - 2 Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] [1999]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78535166.jpg "The Sixth Sense - 2 Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] [1999]")
Jul 6th, 2001
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