(1999) ****1/2
"Keep moving, cheese dick."
Admit it, you thought I was gonna open with "I see dead people."
When I was thinking about reviewing this movie, I was concerned it wasn't really horror. Watching it left no doubt. I actually caught myself looking around the living room to make sure all was as it should be, and had to close and lock the window behind me. Brrr.
The story? Cole Sear is a fearful and odd child. He begins to meet with Dr. Crowe, a child psychologist who'd been a rising star before a former patient shot the doctor in the stomach and then killed himself. Cole doesn't think the doctor can help, because of Cole's secret problem: he sees dead people, people who don't even know they're dead. Once we learn his secret (well into the movie), we begin to see the horrific ghosts who haunt Cole. Can Dr. Crowe save Cole, and redeem himself from the mistake he made with that earlier, similar, doomed patient? If you've seen the movie, you know the answer; if you haven't, dash out and rent it immediately.
The Sixth Sense is a compelling drama as well as a compelling horror movie. There is great character development, every part is well cast and well acted, the psychology is sound, the plot unique. I had seen the movie when it first came out and I enjoyed it just as much this time around, in fact could appreciate the acting even more. I kind of want to watch it again before I return the video, but that would be crazy.
"Keep moving, cheese dick."
Admit it, you thought I was gonna open with "I see dead people."
When I was thinking about reviewing this movie, I was concerned it wasn't really horror. Watching it left no doubt. I actually caught myself looking around the living room to make sure all was as it should be, and had to close and lock the window behind me. Brrr.
The story? Cole Sear is a fearful and odd child. He begins to meet with Dr. Crowe, a child psychologist who'd been a rising star before a former patient shot the doctor in the stomach and then killed himself. Cole doesn't think the doctor can help, because of Cole's secret problem: he sees dead people, people who don't even know they're dead. Once we learn his secret (well into the movie), we begin to see the horrific ghosts who haunt Cole. Can Dr. Crowe save Cole, and redeem himself from the mistake he made with that earlier, similar, doomed patient? If you've seen the movie, you know the answer; if you haven't, dash out and rent it immediately.
The Sixth Sense is a compelling drama as well as a compelling horror movie. There is great character development, every part is well cast and well acted, the psychology is sound, the plot unique. I had seen the movie when it first came out and I enjoyed it just as much this time around, in fact could appreciate the acting even more. I kind of want to watch it again before I return the video, but that would be crazy.
8 comments:
I love this movie! I have seen it more than once and a couple parts always freak me out - for example, when Cole is in the hallway of his house and you see the boy cross from one room to another behind him. Hair on the back of my neck goes up every time.
I agree also in the real drama of the moment when you start to see what Cole sees and realizes these things are EVERYWHERE. ALL the time.
Great movie, and review!
A superb film. Five stars from me. The best (indeed, only good) concept ever to come out of that egomaniac's mind.
I dug Unbreakable and I've got a soft spot for Signs, mostly because Joaquin Phoenix is so darn likeable in his part. But yeah, this one's his finest, without a doubt.
The thing that really rattled me was the scene of Cole going into the kitchen thinking the woman turned away from him is his mom, but it's really that woman slicing her wrists open to teach her hubby a lesson.
I was having lunch with Octo and Julie and I said I thought killing yourself in front of someone would be a good way to get back at them. "Only if suicide was already on your agenda," said Octo.
I absolutely detested Unbreakable.
Any time somebody asks me what I have against the movie I only have to make one point:
"He FORGOT he's a superhero."
That usually shuts them up.
And don't even get me started on Signs. The glasses of water reaffirm his faith? The aliens are mimes in leotards? He shamelessly holds the camera on himself for ninety seconds while he makes that insipid speech?
I was having lunch with Octo and Julie and I said I thought killing yourself in front of someone would be a good way to get back at them. "Only if suicide was already on your agenda," said Octo.
In the 'eighties some regional weatherman shot himself on the air. (I think it was a weatherman. It could have been the sports guy, which is somehow much funnier in a macabre way.
Unbreakable is the only other flick by M Night that I have seen. Especially coming after Sense, I was pretty disappointed.
I wonder if his siblings or cousins have names like "Evening," "Afternoon," "Morning," "Day" etc.
Maybe with the first initial, like: "W. Morning Shyamalan"; "Z. Evening Shyamalan"; "R. Afternoon Shyamalan" etc.
I just figured out how to remember the spelling of his last name, using convenient "everyday" words and acronyms: it's "shy" followed by "American Medical Association" followed by "Local Area Network."
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