Thomas’s review published on Letterboxd:
It has been over 10 years since I last saw “The Sixth Sense” and honestly, I kind of had forgotten how fantastic this film is. No wonder that M. Night Shyamalan was considered the next big thing in Hollywood after the movie was released.
From start to finish, “The Sixth Sense” is a meticulously constructed movie featuring masterful direction, patient, deliberate storytelling, understated yet beautiful cinematography, a wonderful James Newton Howard score, and a mysterious, pensive, melancholic atmosphere. The iconic twist, which is smartly and carefully build up and foreshadowed, is only the cherry on top, it doesn´t make or break the film. Also, in contrast to twists for the sake of twists, this particular twist further emphasizes the movie´s main themes and adds another, deeper layer to the story. It also enhances rather than hurts the rewatchability of the film and makes it a treat to show to people who know nothing about it (I´ve seen it with my younger brother, so I can vouch for that).
“The Sixth Sense” is a heartfelt drama disguised as a horror film. It´s quite possibly the most humane of all ghost stories, using the supernatural elements as a hook to capture your attention as it explores empathy, loss, grief, trauma, love, family, healing, and acceptance. Sure, there are creepy, unsettling scenes, effective scares, and a strong sense of foreboding, which all contribute to making the first 2/3 of the movie so gripping and engrossing but it´s the final act and the tonal and narrative shift that happens there that makes “The Sixth Sense” a masterpiece. How the film turns a curse into a blessing, fear into compassion, and despair into hope is incredibly moving cinema and in a subtle way a more potent twist than the final shocking revelation.
The film could have been simply a cerebral, high concept mystery thriller but it also has a big beating heart thanks to its three central characters, all of them fleshed-out and three-dimensional, all of them with complete, satisfying arcs, and all of them brought to life by outstanding performances. We all love Bruce Willis as an action hero but here he can shine as a nuanced, vulnerable character actor who exudes so much warmth that I also want to confide my secrets with him. Toni Collette, who has a great track record as the mom in dramatic horror films, also delivers a layered, heart-wrenching performances that pulls on your heartstrings. Yet nothing hits as hard as Haley Joel Osment´s all-time great child performance. The emotional depth and maturity he displays at his young age is absolutely astounding and a testament to both Osment´s immense natural talent and Shyamalan´s talent for directing actors.
“The Sixth Sense” deserves to be remembered for more than just its twist. It´s masterfully crafted, thematically profound, superbly acted, and filled with memorable, emotionally affecting scenes (to name one of the less talked about scenes, that zoom-in on the father´s face at the funeral will haunt me forever). No matter what you think about Shyamalan´s career as a whole, this film is a grand cinematic achievement nobody can take away from him.
