Summary
The Sixth Sensehas just turned 25 years old, and while the M. Night Shyamalan film is still great, the movie does have some problems that weren’t as apparent when the movie first released in 1999. The legacy ofThe Sixth Senseis enormous,with it launching the careers of director M. Night Shyamalan and actor Haley Joel Osmentwhile also introducing the world to one of thebest twist endings of all time.The Sixth Sensehas remained in the pop culture ethos for two and a half decades now, although many haven’t fully realized these 10 harsh realities.
The Sixth Sensefollows Bruce Willis' Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who becomes invested in the case of Haley Joel Osment’s Cole Sear, a young boy who claims that he is able to see dead people. While most of the film centers around Crowe trying to uncover the truth about the boy’s condition,The Sixth Sensefamously ends with a twistthat reveals that Malcolm has been dead the whole time. This mind-blowing twist completely changes how viewers see the movie, but on a rewatch some issues become far more apparent than they originally were.
Every Character M. Night Shyamalan Played In His Own Movies
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has played characters in 11 of his movies, ranging from starring roles to the smallest of cameos.
10The Sixth Sense’s Twist Is Too Famous For Its Own Good
It Becomes Hard To Take Seriously
WhileThe Sixth Sense’s twistblew the minds of audiences when the film was first released in 1999, the ending has made its way into common knowledge, with it now being too famous for its own good. Many viewers who didn’t get the chance to watchThe Sixth Senseuntil years after it came out already had the twist ending spoiled for them, as it is so well-known now that it is nearly impossible to go into the film blind.
The ending ofThe Sixth Sensehas been parodied and homaged in all kinds of different forms, which is one of the reasons that it is so hard to avoid spoilers. On top of that, viewers that did see the ending as intended may not enjoy the film as much on a rewatch, as the constant jokes aboutThe Sixth Sensemay make the film seem a little sillier on a rewatch.
9Rewatching The Sixth Sense Takes Away From What Shyamalan Wants Viewers To Feel
It’s Hard Not To Think About Malcolm Being Dead
There is a lot to appreciate when watchingThe Sixth Sensefor a second time, as it allows viewers to see the film’s story through the lens of already knowing that Malcolm Crowe is dead. This means that viewers can fully appreciate the care that Shyamalan and the rest ofThe Sixth Senseteam put into making sure that the twist worked, as it becomes obvious that he is dead in many of the scenes after learning about the twist ending.
However, when rewatchingThe Sixth Sense,it is almost impossible not to think about the fact that Bruce Willis' character is dead. It becomes difficult to be sad that Malcolm’s wife is giving him the silent treatment, or to wonder if Cole’s mother is actually abusing him. Instead, viewers see right through these story beats on a rewatch, meaning that the emotional experience ofThe Sixth Sense’s story up until the twistis weaker.
8The Story Relies On A Lot Of Conveniences
But You Only Notice On A Rewatch
Although it isn’t apparent on a first watch, it becomes clear on a rewatch that the story ofThe Sixth Senserelies on a lot of conveniences. A lot of scenes center around Malcolm and Cole talking, andif Malcolm tried to talk to any other character or if any other character heard Cole talking to Malcolm, Malcolm would immediately know that something was up. Conveniently, Cole’s mom is always in the other room when Malcolm is speaking to her son, something that is a requirement for this story to actually work.
The Sixth Sensealso heavily relies on Malcolm assuming that his wife is giving him the silent treatment, something that would be a stretch in real life. Only a handful of scenes are shown between them in the film, but sinceThe Sixth Sensecontains a lot of scenes of Malcolm at his house, it would be weird for them to have not had more interactions off-screen. Malcolm realistically would have tried to talk to her more, and eventually, he should have realized that there was a problem.
7The Sixth Sense’s Ghost Rules Have Some Problems
Some Don’t Make Sense
The rules of how the ghosts work inThe Sixth Senseare a little shaky, with there being some problems regarding how they work. When Malcolm finds out that he is dead, he suddenly notices the blood on the back of his shirt, implying that the ghosts don’t know about their injuries. This could explain why ghosts like the acting instructor don’t comment on their injuries. However, the woman in the kitchen with the cuts on her wrist is aware of these injuries, specifically calling them out, raising the question of how she knows about her method of death.
On top of that,Malcolm’s story implies that dead people simply believe that they survived their deaths, with Malcolm believing that he survived the shot and continued living his life. However,The Sixth Sensealso features three ghosts who are hanging in a school, but if ghosts are supposed to believe that they survived, it wouldn’t make sense that they are still hanging. This scene also raises the question of if they can see each other, as Malcolm isn’t able to see other ghosts throughout the film.
Donnie Wahlberg’s The Sixth Sense Role Explained
The Sixth Sense tells a powerful story about ghosts, and Donnie Walhberg had a notable appearance as an important character who impacts the plot.
6The “Ghosts See What They Want” Rule Feels Too Easy
It Is Too Convenient
M. Night Shyamalan added in a simple explanation that allows any plot hole inThe Sixth Senseto be hand-waved away, although it does feel a bit cheap. In the movie, Cole explains that ghosts are able to see what they want, explaining why Malcolm is able to maintain the illusion that he is alive.The end of the film sees the world transform into reality, with Malcolm realizing things that he had previously blocked out.
For an otherwise tightly written film, this rule seems like too simple of an explanation. It is clear that Shyamalan wrote himself into a corner, and that the story andtwist ofThe Sixth Sensewouldn’t work without this rule. However, rewatches allow it to become clear just how heavily the film’s twist relies on this rule, but it isn’t hard to imagine a tighter story where this isn’t required.
5Cole’s Powers Need Some More Explanation
They Have Some Plot Holes
Every detail about howThe Sixth Sense’s ghosts work is fed to the audience through exposition explained by Cole, the child who is able to see the ghosts. However, there are some questions about how he learned these things. Since the ghosts aren’t aware that they are ghosts, it is clear that they didn’t tell Cole how their rules worked. Cole could have picked some things up along the way, but ideas like ghosts seeing what they want would only be available information if someone told Cole about it.
It also isn’t clear whyCole is able to only see specific ghosts. If Cole could see every dead person, then he would constantly be wading through a sea of over 100 billion ghosts rather than only seeing them every once in a while. Thus, it is clear that there are some rules that are never fully explained to the audience.
4The Movie Can’t Decide If Malcolm Or Cole Is The Main Character
They Fight For The Spotlight
Malcolm and Cole are fantastic characters throughoutThe Sixth Sense. However, the movie has a problem in that it can’t decide which one is the main character.Malcolm seemingly starts out as the protagonist of the film, with the first half of the movie focusing on his seemingly struggling marriage and his investigation into Cole’s condition. However, this changes at the film’s midpoint, with Malcolm being missing from a ton of key scenes surrounding Cole after he reveals that he can see dead people.
Malcolm only comes back into the spotlight in the final scene, when he discovers he is dead. Cole is the character who has the more significant character arc, with him learning to come to terms with his powers, making him seem like more of a main character than Malcolm.
3Anna Is Underdeveloped (But She Has To Be)
It Was Impossible To Make Her Work
InThe Sixth Sense, Olivia Williams' Anna is the wife of Malcolm, with her being one of the weakest parts of the film. Despite her failing marriage with Malcolm being one of the key storylines in the film, Anna is incredibly underdeveloped. She is silent through most of her scenes, and while Malcolm’s motivations and characteristics are fairly fleshed out, Anna is far more one-note.
However,this is required in the story ofThe Sixth Sensedue to her knowing that Malcolm is dead. Malcolm and Anna can’t have any conversations outside ofThe Sixth Sense’s opening scenes, and she isn’t involved in Cole’s story at all. Because of this, she can only be characterized visually, and while the film did as best as it could, she still feels like less of a character than Malcolm, Cole, and Lynn.
10 Movies To Watch If You Like The Sixth Sense
An eerie atmosphere and an unexpected twist made The Sixth Sense an enduring classic, and these ten films hold a similar status.
2The Sixth Sense Isn’t Really A Horror Movie
It Is More Of A Mystery
The Sixth Senseis oftentimes referred to as a horror movie, but this may be a misclassification.The Sixth Senseis much more of a supernatural mystery, as nothing in it is all that scary. The only trulyscary scene inThe Sixth Senseis the one in which the ghost appears to Cole in his house, with none of the other ghosts really coming off as frightening. While they do have gory makeup, these characters are presented pretty plainly, givingThe Sixth Sensea unique feel.
From watchingThe Sixth Sense, it never seems like the film is trying to be scary, meaning that this problem isn’t the movie’s fault. Instead, the horror genre that is prescribed to the film seems to be a result of its unique story and tone, as it is a bit hard to market outside of the twist ending.
1M. Night Shyamalan’s Future Movies Never Lived Up To The Sixth Sense’s Legacy
The Bar Was Set Too High
The Sixth Sensewas a great start to M. Night Shyamalan’s career, but his future movies unfortunately never lived up to the 1999 film’s legacy.The Sixth Senseis considered one of the best films of all time, with it reaching heights that Shyamalan hasn’t since been able to recapture. Shyamalan is still famous for his twists, but unfortunately, none of the following movies have had a twist nearly as shocking as the one found here.
M. Night Shyamalan has made some good movies sinceThe Sixth Sense, withUnbreakableandSplitbeing the standouts. However, he has also made some movies that have been critically panned, such asAfter Earth,The Last Airbender, andLady in the Water. This givesThe Sixth Sensean interesting tone upon a rewatch, as it is hard not to consider its greatness within the context of M. Night Shyamalan’s career in its entirety.
The Sixth Sense
Cast
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller about a young boy who can see and communicate with ghosts. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment, while grappling with his own personal demons. The movie features a twist ending that has become iconic in pop culture.
