A theory (warning - contains spoiler)

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2002)

I missed this when it came out, but enjoyed Unbreakable and Signs in the theatres. Having just seen it on tv, I found I enjoyed it despite knowing about the twist ending - in fact I enjoyed seeing how the trick was worked.

SPOILER ALERT I've noticed several people in these comments making the very good point, "how could Dr. Crowe go a whole year not noticing that no one was talking to him, etc?" In fact one might wonder how the other ghosts, some of whom had clearly been dead for centuries, had failed to notice their condition - the gunshot boy looks to be from the '70s and his casual manner suggests he doesn't know anything's wrong, while the servant in the attic has been yelling for help for lord knows how long, as if he were still alive. This behaviour (pretty typical for both fictional ghosts and those described in actual (?) hauntings) suggests that ghost perceptions are not quite those of the living. Crowe tells his wife in the restaurant scene that he's been having trouble keeping track of time. We only see him when he's working on Cole's case or attempting to interact with his wife - that is, when he's doing the things he's been left on earth to complete. May I suggest that the rest of the time he does not exist, or is in some form of limbo he can only remember confusedly afterwards? After all, time doesn't need to pass the same way for a ghost as for a living human. Anyway, given the intelligence of the script, I thought I'd give Shamalan the benefit of the doubt and try to think up a possible explanation. Possibly on the DVD he talks about this.