The Sixth Sense (1999)
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A child psychologist must help a young boy who claims to see the spirits of the dead.
The story
In Philadelphia, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) treats a troubled young boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). Cole, who is haunted by visions of the deceased, claims to have clairvoyant abilities. Malcolm, who is struggling to cope with a personal tragedy involving a former patient, realizes that Cole is telling the truth. To help the boy overcome his fears, Malcolm encourages him to communicate with the spirits. As they work together, the boundaries between the living and the dead begin to blur, forcing Malcolm to confront his own reality while trying to provide guidance to the boy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a former patient shoots and kills Malcolm Crowe, Malcolm begins treating Cole Sear, a boy who sees dead people. Malcolm realizes Cole is telling the truth and encourages him to help the spirits. During this process, Cole helps a ghost named Kyra Collins and eventually convinces his mother of his abilities. Malcolm eventually discovers that he was actually killed by the intruder and has been a ghost the entire time. Upon realizing his true state, he manages to say a final goodbye to his wife, Anna, before his spirit departs.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Writers
- M. Night Shyamalan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Willis · Malcolm Crowe; Toni Collette · Lynn Sear; Olivia Williams; Haley Joel Osment · Cole Sear
- Genres
- psychological thriller; ghost; supernatural
- Themes
- death; grief; supernatural; mother-son relationships
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; eerie
- Premise and plot tags
- psychic powers; ghosts; twist ending
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1999.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 166; Metacritic · score: 64 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · 1999 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · 1999 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · 1999 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Editing · 1999 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · 1999 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · 1999 · nomination; Nebula Award · Best Script · 1999 · win; Satellite Award · writing · win; Satellite Award · editing · win; People's Choice Award · lead actor · 1999 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999.; The color red is used to signify things tainted by the other world.; The film was the top-selling DVD of 2000.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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