You have to add some twists and stuff.

Rating: 7/10 (10 October 2016)

The internet and young audiences have long been enamoured with this type of film that rewards repeat viewings. It's good film-making to flip the viewer onto its back and watch them question everything they have just witnessed, and what's more, twists generate discussion, which in turn generate hype. These films, in the vein of Fight Club, The Usual Suspects, The Prestige as well as Shyamalan's own The Village, all have their designated 'rewind' moments, where the bombshell twist is dropped and the realisation sinks into the characters. This is often accompanied by flashbacks that remind us visually of all the little hints that we have missed, but most find that joy in a second or even third watch. It's a bit like positive reinforcement - the viewer relishes in spotting them slyly inserted into the background or unknowingly in plain sight, and are allowed to pat themselves on the back for being so attentive.
The worst of these twist movies are built from that point up - their screenplays are only written after the original idea, and bits and pieces of the world and characterisation need to be fitted around it. When re-watching these, they fail miserably because the viewer is now armed with prior knowledge that renders it illogical and unnecessary. One of the worst offenders of this type is The Usual Suspects, a cult classic because of the last few minutes where everything that had been previously established in the film is suddenly up-ended and tossed aside. Knowing this and watching the film again renders it all joyless and without meaning; the entire thing is little more than a shaggy- dog story built from the ego of Keyser Soze. Another contender is Fincher's The Game. Its tension is serviceable the first time, but a revisit only strains the suspension of disbelief, and highlights the ridiculousness and somewhat sadistic tone.
Is The Sixth Sense a successful movie in spite of its twist being the worst kept secret in pop culture in the years after its premiere? Its characters at least, seem authentic, and not contraptions that only service the path towards the twist ending. Bruce Willis is cast against type; he is responsible for mending things, instead of tearing them apart, but it is exactly the type of baggage that his persona carries (the rough, hard-headed approach) which convinces us he would rather throw a brick into a window instead of talking to his wife (although this does not entirely redeem the convenience of the situation). Collette plays a role she would later perfect in About a Boy - a single mother straining against the weight and responsibility of parenthood, but Shyamalan enables an additional level of sympathy by letting her react rationally to irrational and supernatural occurrences. We can see what is causing the bruising and emotional distress, but we also understand that she has no other reasonable response, and so this justifies the tension that holds back their true communication. Haley Joel Osment's young performance is exactly as asked; a boy saddled with a burden that no ten year old should have to shoulder, and courageously trying to do what is right. Much of Cole's precocious nature is sourced from Osment himself, and that is perhaps why the acclaim for the role is a little overdone. But he is still very good, and makes the jumps from childhood to adult emotional sensibilities smoothly.
The film has been called horror, which seems undeniable in the way that Shyamalan approaches Cole's visions stylistically. He uses the money shots carefully and sparingly, from a long-held horror tradition that came initially from limited budgets (this was his third directorial feature, but the budget does not reflect that). The characters might walk past ghosts hanging from nooses in the corridor ceiling, and everyone but Cole will not afford a second glance. A lone hand might grab at a little boy from under the bed - a little clichÃ©, I must admit. And the soundtrack is familiar enough. Its aesthetic is unmistakably horror, stabbing and piercing and leaping suddenly in volume to aid the jump scares. If they are not scary enough that's because the film ultimately tries to brand itself with the sentiment of redemption instead. Maybe one day ghosts might try a more friendly tone if they want things done from the afterlife.