Of all the critically lauded and "serious" horror films ever made, many feature children in key parts. Some may think that's because everyone can relate to a kid or two they've known who's occasionally acted like they were possessed, such as during the "terrible twos."
The more likely scenarios, however, are that it's because everyone remembers being frightened as a child (when monsters lurked under the beds and in partially closed closets), or that seeing a frightened child activates one's protective nature far quicker than witnessing an adult in the same situation. Whatever the explanation, many of the better horror flicks feature children in some sort of supernatural harm's way. For proof, one only needs to think of "The Exorcist," "The Omen," "Poltergeist" and "The Shining."
Now you can add "The Sixth Sense" to that list. While clearly not of the "Scream" slasher/bogeyman variety, this is more of a serious, thought-provoking film that contains some of the spookiest, creepiest and eeriest moments I've seen on film in quite some time.
As written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan ("Wide Awake"), this picture, that's consistently more unnerving than most everything else that's been released in the past decade, should go down in the annals of horror films as one of the better entries.
That said, I'm sure the film could have some detractors, and for two particular reasons. For one, they may complain that the film is too slow and methodical in its approach (and that it also bears a passing superficial resemblance to "Mercury Rising"). I'll readily admit that I hate boring movies, particularly if they're long -- this one isn't, it's just under two hours -- and am quick to point out such things.
Yet, this film, the highly underrated "Meet Joe Black" and "Beloved," would be hurt by a faster tempo. Simply put, such films need their time to enact their supernatural spell over the viewer and thus slowly give them the creeps.
Sure, those weaned on MTV-style films -- where scenes and dialogue whip by at a breakneck pace while the cinematographer and editor go crazy zipping and cutting the various camera shots -- will complain about films like this one, but they should slow down and smell the roses for once. Sometimes, slower is better, and horror films certainly don't need "Scream" style shenanigans, attractive "hard bodies," knife-wielding bogeyman or telegraphed jump scenes to be effective.
Beyond the film's premise that's spooky all by itself, there's just something about the way Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto ("Beloved," "The Silence of the Lambs") have lit and shot the film that's both unnerving and quite frightening.
Contrary to the overblown and frenetic antics of "The Haunting" remake, this film's scariest scenes take place inside a modest and normal looking home where nothing seems out of place -- unless, of course, you consider the various dead people who suddenly and unpredictably show up.
I'll admit that I've always been a sucker for this type of "after death" story, and have usually found such films -- whether they're intentionally frightening or just romantic "dramedies" such as "Ghost," the underrated "Always" and the fabulous "Heaven Can Wait" -- highly involving and often thought-provoking.
While this one includes some nicely developed humorous moments -- that not only flow naturally from the proceedings but also offer some needed, albeit brief tension-cutting, comic relief -- it's the type of film that slowly wants to work its way under your skin and it more than succeeds at just that.
The spooky stuff doesn't come at you right from the start, however, but instead gradually develops. The kid's reactions to the unseen events surrounding him are unnerving enough, but then there's the scene where his mother steps out of the kitchen for just a moment. When she returns, all of the drawers and cabinet doors are wide open. Although "Poltergeist" did a similarly spooky thing with kitchen chairs, the effect is still quite creepy. And that's just the beginning.
The methodical scare tactics aside, the more likely criticism regarding the film, however, will be aimed at Bruce Willis and his performance as the low-keyed and reserved child psychiatrist. With the famous actor's often-used smirk and cockiness ingrained in the viewer's cinematic psyche, it may be difficult for some to accept him in this sort of role. Of course, he's already proved that he can act in films such as "In Country," but the average viewer's memory is short and probably best associates him with films such as "Armageddon."
Others will obviously attack the way in which he plays the character, calling him wooden or complaining that he's sleepwalking through the role. In doing so, however, they'll be missing the overall scope of the picture that more than explains why he's playing the character the way he does. I for one didn't have such problems at any time during the film, and looking back at Willis' performance in hindsight only shows that the part was perfectly played.
The real star of the film isn't Willis, however, but his young costar who delivers an incredibly strong and uncanny performance for a child his age. I'm talking about Haley Joel Osment, the kid who played Forrest, Jr. in "Forrest Gump" and has gone on to appear in various high profile films.
Delivering a performance that would make most adult performers envious, Osment is consistently believable as the troubled youngster. Not only do you completely accept that he's actually experiencing such horrific events, but he plays the character in such a pained and realistic fashion that you can't help but feel really sorry for him, thus ensuring that you'll grow far more concerned about his well-being as the story progresses.
The main supporting performances -- really only consisting of Toni Collette ("Muriel's Wedding") as Cole's mom and Olivia Williams ("Rushmore") as Malcolm's seemingly aloof wife -- are similarly strong although the actresses don't get the necessary time to flesh out their characters properly.
Even so, some of the film's better moments involve them. Somewhat unusual for a horror flick, this one features some truly touching moments, such as when Cole and his mom describe how their respective days were by using cheery events that wouldn't be worth mentioning if they were only true. Then there's the heartbreaking scene where Cole informs his mom about how her deceased mother really feels about her. Such moments tug on the heartstrings and give the film a nice added layer of emotional resonance.
The part of the film that will elicit the most comments, however, is the ending. While we won't give it away, we'll just say that it's truly mind-blowing, will catch many viewers off guard, and only makes the film that much better, especially when considered in hindsight. It's truly one of the best endings I've seen for a film in a long time, and makes one wish to see the picture again just to reexamine how everything played out the first time around.
That's a good thing since it's not unusual for such films to start out on a creepy note, but then either run out of gas, lose their edge, or become goofy by turning into nothing more than a big special effects extravaganza. This one bucks that trend by accelerating its pace as the story progresses. It continually gets creepier by the moment, and just when you think it's deflating toward the end, it hits you with a wild, but perfectly plausible ending.
For those who thought "Beloved" and "Meet Joe Black" were too slow for their tastes, you may want to skip this film. If you "enjoy" haunting films that get progressively spookier and creepier as they go, however, then this one might be right up your darkened, nightmare prone alley. I was really spooked by this film, but also admired its performances and the way everything perfectly plays out.
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