The #1 Thriller of all time? Not quite, but a good watch

Rating: Null/10 (15 April 2000)

"The Sixth Sense" is a schitzophrenic movie. If you can make it through the first hour and 20 minutes of this one, it starts to pick up steam very very quickly. The storyline consists of a psychologist's attempt to help a young boy with a terrifying problem. He can see dead people. These lost souls communicate with the boy on a constant basis, needing something. Help? Revenge? No one knows, until Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) enters the picture. Dr. Crowe is fighting his own personal demons as a year before a patient with similiar symptoms to this boy reveals that Dr. Crowe failed to help him.
Bruce Willis puts his all into the role of Dr. Crowe, and you can watch his face grow more and more haggard and emotional as he realizes he may not be able to help this boy, especially as his life at home begins to deteriorate due to his efforts. This has emerged as one of Bruce's best roles in recent times and will stand as a true sign that he has matured as an actor.
Haley Joel Osment stars as Cole, the young boy with the huge secret. He is the real star of this movie, portraying the pain his character is suffering with an amazing dexterity and touch. You feel this young man can really see ghosts, and react with his level of terror once we see them as well. The Academy went with longevity over the true best supporting actor this year, and I hope to see Haley Joel win the Oscar he richly deserves in the very near future.
Toni Collette is the only other real character in the movie, playing Cole's mother. She comes off a bit dry for a mother struggling to understand and find a cure for what ails her son, but overall is a strong character and feels real enough.
There really is no supporting cast to speak of. Malcolm's wife, Cole's teacher and the ghosts of the dead are the only real supporting characters in this one. Filler mostly, although one dead soul has a bit more importance to the unfolding of the last half hour, and I wish I had caught her name.
"The Sixth Sense" was a sleeper hit, and I feel got as much overkill from media outlets as "The Blair Witch Project" did, and like TBWP got a major boost in its audience from that. Is it a good movie? The answer is yes, the last half hour (and it's rather stunning final plot twist) is strong enough to carry the weight of the rather lengthy and droll first hour. Is it a thriller? To some extent, but packs nowhere near the "thrill" of a "Halloween" or "Silence of The Lambs".
2 1/2 out of 5