1999
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Ladies but mostly gentlemen (from what I can gather from the comments section), this is the last movie on the List from the 90s. Thankfully, we are ending on a high note. I will talk more about this milestone in my next post, which will be my Oscar (or Blogscars) picks for the 90s. For now, let's talk about the Sixth Sense.
Child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe is shot in an attempted murder suicide by one of his former patients, Vincent Grey, who believes he failed him. The following fall, Malcolm is still haunted by Vincent's actions and has consequently grown more distant from his wife. He begins working with a new patient, Cole, whose mother is concerned about his increasingly odd behavior. Cole can see dead people who seek his help from beyond the grave.
If the ending of this film has not been spoiled for you, please, drop everything you are doing and watch this movie. Unfortunately, I don't believe such innocents exist anymore. Still, it is an undeniably great twist and I really do miss this M. Night Shymalan (although The Visit was actually quite enjoyable).
Not enough good things can be said about Haley Joel Osment's performance, which was truly remarkable. Osment elevates the film into an emotional experience that just happens to contain elements of horror. It is also beautifully shot and certainly the highlight of a lot of careers.
So a decent send off to the nineties.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
One of only five horror movies to be nominated for Best Picture.
The role of Malcolm was written for Bruce Willis.
