Barnes & Noble

A throwback to old-fashioned fright films, The Sixth Sense eschews gimmicky effects in favor of intriguing storytelling, sympathetic characters, and evocative atmospherics that tingle viewers' spines. Bruce Willis gives one of his most understated and effective performances to date as a child psychologist whose career goes into decline after he's shot by a former patient. His latest case involves a troubled grade-school boy (Haley Joel Osment, in an Oscar-nominated performance) who confesses, "I see dead people" -- a claim the psychologist comes to believe is true. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (Wide Awake) wisely makes Osment the story's focal point, allowing us to see the restless spirits that visit him, to feel the terror that besets him. The scenes between Osment and Willis are handled subtly, and Shyamalan's shattering surprise denouement blindsides even the most observant viewers. Easily the creepiest ghost story in recent memory, The Sixth Sense is guaranteed to stand your hair on end. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

In this tense tale of psychological terror, Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist whose new patient has a problem far outside his usual area of expertise. Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is six-years-old and claims to see the spirits of dead people all around him. It seems that Cole has psychic powers and can channel the ghosts of those who were troubled. Cole doesn't understand his powers, and he has little control over them; he's constantly terrified by what he sees, and Dr. Crowe is the only one with whom he feels he can share this secret. However, as the doctor digs deeper into Cole's strange powers, it leads to strange and unexpected consequences for both of them. M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote and directed the film, has a small role as Dr. Hill. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936773651
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: ABC
• Time: 1:47:00
• Sales Rank: 14,618

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