The Sixth Sense

It's coming up on October again, and I thought I would dig into another movie from the Horror Genre, although I wouldn't classify this as horror since it is a very intellectually based film.  As I've probably said before, I'm not a horror film fan.  Especially the slasher variety.  So when The 6th Sense came out in theaters, I passed on it.   However, the buzz from the film slowly changed my mind as it came out on DVD.  Watching it in my house was actually a scarier experience, since it turned out to be a very personally scary movie.

It's really hard to describe too much of this movie without giving away the incredible twists and turns.  In a nutshell, the plot involves a troubled psychiatrist, played by Bruce Willis, who is trying to help a young boy named Cole, played Haley Joel Osment, deal with his phobias.  What are the phobias?  Well, Cole thinks that he sees dead people and they speak to him.   Most of the film follows Cole and his hauntings, some mild, some quite chilling.  As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the ghosts that speak to Cole have a purpose and movie cleverly reveals their secrets.  The ending is so creative it should leave you thinking and probably a little scared for quite some time.

The reason this movie affected me was that as a young boy, I too thought ghosts were very real.  I was always on the lookout for changes to my bedroom, worried that if the curtain was different from when I had left it, that a ghost must have been playing tricks on me.  While I won't say I subscribe to ghosts today, the movie did pull me back to those phobias.  And yet, the movie leaves you with a whole new perspective on the stories the dead truly do have to tell.

M. Night Shyamalan, is the only horror director that I have a deep respect for and will entertain watching his other films.  While some of his other movies have not been able to hold up to The 6th Sense or The Village, he always does try to make you think deeper which I respect. 

Reasons to watch:  This is an intellectual movie.  Great performances by the cast.  Horror can be a powerful genre. 

Lessons to learn:  The dead, whether you believe in ghosts or not have stories to tell.  Some are quite fascinating while some will provide you with important lessons.  In a sense, that is what I love about history.  It is the people of the past telling you their tales.  

I highly recommend you watch this, The Village, and Signs, by M. Night Shyamalan.