The Sixth Sense: Overcoming Fear

In 1999, the movie The Sixth Sense premiered, making the previously unknown Indian filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan famous around the world. This supernatural thriller still holds a special place in this genre. Both the critics and the public loved it so much that it received six Academy Award nominations.

Shyamalan surprised the audience with a story that would fit into the horror genre. The film also covers topics such as the fear of death and the pain of loss, elements that are unusual to see in horror films. The Sixth Sense tells a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and ends with a touching message.

The most famous part of the film is the plot twist at the end. Shyamalan left a lot of clues throughout the film, it was just a matter of putting the pieces together so that everything was right.

For those familiar with this director’s filmography, this kind of plot twist is no surprise. Shyamalan experimented with endings like these in later films such as The Village (2004) and Unbreakable (2000) . These endings have become Shyamalan’s trademark and provide an interesting experience for the viewer.

The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense is an easily recognizable and extremely popular movie. As a result, it is also the subject of countless parodies. An example is Cole’s (Haley Joel Osment) memorable phrase: “I see dead people” . The fact that this quote is so famous shows that the movie is a fundamental part of our popular culture.

However, in this article, we are not going to discuss that particular topic in detail. Instead, we’ll focus and dig deeper into the movie’s message and try to answer why supernatural movies have so many followers.

WARNING: Need we talk about spoilers for such a well-known movie? Just in case, be warned, this article is full of them.

The Sixth Sense: a very real story

The Sixth Sense is a story set in modern times. The film makes this very clear from the start by introducing contemporary issues such as bullying or a divorce. Although we are more used to talking about these issues now, it was still somewhat taboo in the 1990s.

Remember, divorce was not legal in many countries well into the 20th century. Many kids who grew up in the 90’s have been through a divorce or have friends who went through it.

So while divorce was pretty common when the movie came out, it was still something people had to get used to. Most people also didn’t know what kind of impact a divorce would have on children, and they didn’t have many examples of this new family structure.

In the film, the big motivation behind the divorce is the fact that Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) puts work ahead of family. He fears that he has lost his wife because he spends too much time at work. What he really fears, however, is death. However, he denies this to protect himself.

The film shows us the daily life of Cole and his mother after his father left. We see the problems and struggles and learn how this affects his life at school. Cole’s mother tries to help her son, who seems to be in a lot of trouble.

Bullying then and now

Cole is bullied at school. He doesn’t get along well with his classmates and he is the subject of all their jokes. You see his relationship with his classmates and his mother’s relationship with the other mothers. Everything seems to point to family problems.

Bullying is no longer approached in the same way it was then. Today, schools and families are more aware of bullying and better equipped to deal with it. In the film, bullying is still kept quiet and brushed aside. Today, however, people no longer associate going to a psychologist with insanity.

Watching this film through a modern lens now makes the viewer even more involved in the on-screen tension and Cole’s relationship with death. Throughout the film, this relationship allows the characters to learn about the true value of life and the importance of remembering loved ones and letting them go too.

With expert character development and an airtight script, Shyamalan tells a story with context that feeds with suspense from reality.

Paranormal activity and hope

The belief in life after death may seem scary, but it is actually a response to a certain desire. For example, the idea of ​​eternal life is important to many religions.

Whether it’s the existence of heaven or reincarnation, the idea of ​​life after death seems to make this life easier. It makes it easier to say goodbye, because you hope that you will eventually be reunited with your loved ones.

Film and literature play with the idea of ​​what happens after death. People seem to fear the dead more than the living because death is unknown and mysterious. The unknown is usually what you fear.

However, all these movies that feed on fear also offer hope in their own way. If evil spirits exist to torment us, it means that death is not the end of everything.

For  example, in The Exorcist and other horror films, these contrasts calm our fears. If evil exists, then good also exists. If there is life after death (even if it is in the form of ghosts and demons), then you don’t have to be so afraid of death.

The Sixth Sense feeds that fear and also plays with hope. Not all ghosts that appear before Cole are scary. He also sees his grandmother, although we never see her on screen.

Facing fears

In the film, Cole faces his fear and discovers that his mission in life is to use his gift and help others. He helps the spirits find peace and move on. You can see the influence of the spiritual Hindu tradition in Shyamalan’s film as he explores fear, anxiety, pain and hope.

The story plays with your emotions. It uses pain and tension to connect you to your deepest emotions. Everyone is afraid of death, everyone mourns the loss of a loved one, and everyone is afraid of something. Your life is a path full of obstacles that you must face and overcome, just like the people in the movie.

The film moves at a fairly slow pace, except for the scary moments, which are scattered throughout the film. The interesting thing about these moments (which are common in horror movies) is that they don’t turn out to be as terrifying as they seem at first glance.

The Sixth Sense: beyond suspense

The tension is palpable from the start. The evils of contemporary life dominate the characters. The film deals with suicide, loss, guilt, abuse and fear.

But above all that, beyond the suspense, The Sixth Sense is a story of friendship and love. It is about remembering those you have lost and accepting that they are no longer there and letting them go.

Cole and his psychologist help each other. They learn important lessons and become good friends. dr. Crowe finds his way in death and Cole finds his way in life.

The ending is surprising and gives hope for the future of the characters, although they are in different worlds. The characters in the film overcome pain and obstacles by talking about their problems and reconciling with their loved ones and with themselves.

I still remember the first time I saw the film, I was carried away by the suspense. I focused on the scary things that happened to little Cole. Years later, after I rewatched the movie, I enjoyed it in a very different, less terrifying way.

Time has not affected The Sixth Sense, whether you know the ending or not. Shyamalan gives the viewer the gift of a horror movie that is beautiful at the same time.