Wow! Incredibly subtle...

Rating: 10/10 (9 August 1999)

This movie is brilliant, even better than The Usual Suspects and The Matrix... It's one of the few movies I've watched lately and then realized it had no plot holes that I could find. I thought I found one at first, but realized it was merely a case of seeing what I expected to see rather than what was actually shown.
At one point, Cole comments that the ghosts can't see each other, they only see what they want to see. The ending makes the same point TO the audience ABOUT the audience, and does it with a demonstration that cannot be argued against.
The writing, direction, and acting are all great... I knew Willis could act, but I was surprised to see than Donnie Wahlberg (that's right, from the New Kids On The Block) can do some impressive acting, as well--at least in the brief appearance he makes as a former patient.
There's one scene in particular where surprisingly good acting from a child combines with brilliant direction to allow you to see exactly how Cole feels having to go to the bathroom alone in the middle of the night, knowing that the dead will appear, but knowing when or how... I've never seen a movie convey emotion this way before.
You really should see this--not to be scared (which you will be, suddenly and with no warning, at various points in the movie), but to be made to THINK, in the way that good science fiction makes you think.