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The tagline for this supernatural thriller is "Not every gift is a blessing." Perhaps an addendum to that tagline should be "Not every 90's horror film is either: a CGI-effects bonanza with miminal plotting; a showcase for Hilfiger-clad TV teens; or an apocalyptic comic book brought to life by rockstar-looking characters."
What The Sixth Sense is, instead, is a strikingly well-written and intelligent yarn about respected child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) who has lost his passion for the practice after a former patient named Vincent Gray (a barely-recognizable Donnie Walhberg) shoots him and then commits suicide, blaming the doctor for failing to "cure" him. A year later, Crowe's physical wound seems to have healed, but his emotional wound--not to mention his disintegrating marriage--is taking a heavy toll on him. Crowe happens upon a new case, a forlorn ten-year-old boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment, in a performance that commanded an Oscar nomination), who has withdrawn from his mother and all those around him for reasons he is unwilling to reveal to anyone. After circumstances bring doctor and patient into a fully-trusting relationship, the boy reveals his secret torment: He can see dead people, or rather the manifestations of the dead about himself.
How resolution is accomplished won't be revealed here. That would give away too much. But as the initially-disbelieving Crowe is drawn closer to Cole's predicament, both characters embark upon an odyssey which will free the boy from his terrifying visions and bring peace to the doctor, as well as affect amends between him and his estranged wife Anna (Olivia Williams). Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has woven a genuinely creepy, occasionally startling and always compelling tale which takes a dramatic and unforeseeable turn during its final scene. Do not be misled by the PG-13 rating; that can be attributed to the minimal cussing and total lack of sexual content. There is a deep desperation to this film, and the storyline's purpose seems to ultimately be about turning that darkness into light.
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