Brilliant and Creepy.

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 1999)

I had heard so many positive things about The Sixth Sense that I was sure I was going to be disappointed. To my surprise the film lived up to all of the hype I had heard. Haley Joel Osment (Bogus, Forrest Gump) stars as a troubled young child who sees dead people and is constantly haunted by them. Bruce Willis (Pulp Fiction, Die Hard) plays the child psychologist who is trying to help him. The film is so much more than a ghost story its a well-written and subtle approach to what would be a child's worst nightmare. Bruce Willis (an underrated actor) gives a fine subdued performance. You won't be amazed by what you see, but his low-key approach to his character is exactly the way it should be played. And young Haley Joel Osment delivers a superb performance on a very difficult role especially at that young age. I might be going a bit overboard, but hopefully this performance will not be ignored when Oscar time comes around. Also, Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The Postman) as Willis's wife and Toni Collette (Velvet Goldmine, Muriel's Wedding) as Osment's mother are both great in support. The big surprise however is a completely unrecognizable Donnie Wahlberg (Ransom, Never 2 Big) in a powerful one-scene role. Highly recommended film.