A great movie.

Rating: Null/10 (22 May 2000)

This is a great movie - certainly the best one about the supernatural I have seen. It is not only thrilling, but thought-provoking and moving - and is refreshingly free from the gore, foul language and gratuitous nudity which has often tarnished the genre. After the explosive opening, the next 30 to 40 minutes seem slow, but then begins the build-up to the amazing climax - surely the best surprise ending since 'Witness for the Prosecution'. Only at the conclusion (and really only after a second viewing) does one see that the deliberate pacing of the earlier part was essential, that the apparent plot implausibilities are in fact perfectly logical, and how beautifully scripted and directed the film is. Moreover, all the essential supernatural elements of the story have been reliably reported by reputable parapsychologists. Bruce Willis (not the most obvious choice for the role of a child psychologist) is a revelation, Haley Joel Osment is a genuine find, and Toni Collette and Olivia Williams give faultless support. It is a disgrace that this movie won only a single Academy Award, for Editing - and particularly that M. Night Shymalan was not given the Oscar, at least for Best Screenplay. A film that restores your faith in modern Hollywood.