Let's twist again

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 1999)

What a good year. The Matrix put the thought back into action, The Mummy gave us fun adventure almost worthy of Indy himself, the much overlooked Go walked a great dramatic line between danger and humour, Blair Witch was incredibly inventive (albeit partly through necessity), and if my friends are to be believed Fight Club, will in turns repulse and excite me.
Another movie to add to the list is definitely The Sixth Sense. How nice it is to be treated to a mature subtle film for a change. Although it's doubtful whether you could call Blair Witch or The Sixth Sense 'horror', the pair do make an effective anti-dote to the CGI tedium of The Haunting remake, reminding people that a film can live on in the mind long after the credits have rolled. It is also worthwhile approaching both films in the same manner: Ignore the hype, don't expect slick FX, just sit back and watch a nicely crafted little movie rather than the 'event' you were expecting. Less is more. So here's to more less.
Unlike Blair however, there are a few traditional 'haunted house' tricks, mostly designed to startle the audience - someone suddenly walks in front of camera, or appears then disappears in the distance. 'Cheap' maybe, but also extremely effective as the camera is so still during the film that any unexpected movement becomes all the more obvious. The two leads are great, Osment is suitably fragile after home problems and ghostly visits, and Bruce is nicely calm.
Problems? Well, some scenes remind me in essence of Danny in The Shining, but hey, that was 20 years ago now. A bit schmaltzy in places? Maybe, but for the most part the overal tone remains dark. It is also a little slow in places, but to be honest the final twist does reward your patience tenfold. And what about that twist? Well, knowing there was one did send my mind into overdrive, and one of the (many) possibilities I came up with was correct, but it was still a shock when confirmed. Long after leaving the theatre I was still remembering all the little details and important clues that totally passed me by, and with each new discovery my admiration grows.
Maybe on my visit to Fight Club I might just have a last minute change of mind and dive into Sixth Sense again.