Grade:  A

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan		Released:  August 1999
Writer:  M. Night Shyamalan		MPAA Rating:  PG-13
Players:  Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment		Running time:  107 minutes

Ratings System

I hadn't seen The Sixth Sense for over a year, so I screened it again for the purpose of this review.  The main thing that struck me this time around, is that this movie has a lot of heart, and that is what makes it better than Unbreakable.  I really like Unbreakable a lot, and it is an intellectually satisfying movie.  But The Sixth Sense is intellectually satisfying AND emotionally satisfying.

Child actors are notoriously difficult to work with, but Shyamalan put together an excellent cast of children, and really got solid dramatic performances out of them.  It goes without saying that Haley Joel Osment is the star of the movie, and rightly so.  He may have given the best performance by a child actor ever.

Bruce Willis is perfect in his role, playing it muted and staying out of Osment's way in most of the scenes.  Toni Collette and Olivia Williams provide the emotional weight, and Donnie Wahlberg has a nice, creepy little cameo that sets up the meat of the film.

When it's all said and done, this is a movie that will be remembered for a long time.  It's the kind of movie you want your children to see (when they're old enough), so that they can experience the thrill of that first-time viewing.  Watching The Sixth Sense when you don't know the "secret" makes for an unforgettable cinematic experience.

- crocoPuffs