When The Sixth Sense was released in 1999, it was such a big hit, thanks to the amazing talent behind the film. It's one of M. Night Shyamalan's best movies, if not the best one, and Bruce Willis gives an incredible performance as Malcolm Crowe, a therapist trying to help Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment).

Horror fans love the massive twist in The Sixth Sense when it turns out that Malcolm is dead and he understands that he was shot. He has been grieving his wife Anna (Olivia Williams) this entire time but he has also been a spirit himself, which is both creepy and brilliant. But besides this smart plot twist, what else is there to celebrate about this popular movie? There are several reasons why The Sixth Sense still feels like an important horror movie, several decades after its release.

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Treating A Child Character Seriously

Haley Joel Osment as Cole lying in bed under blankets in The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense has a timeless horror movie plot twist, but there are some other things to love and celebrate about the film. Unlike other horror films about scary kids, The Sixth Sense does a great job of creating empathy for Cole and what he's going through. The movie gives Cole and Malcolm equal weight, showing that they have both experienced a lot of pain in their lives, despite the big age difference between them.

While there are many scary moments in the film as fans learn about Cole's big secret, fans can sympathize with Cole's mother's desire for him to fit in and make friends and have more fun in his life. It's easy to cheer Cole on and hope that Malcolm can help him find more joy in his life. Although The Sixth Sense is remembered as a terrifying movie, and it definitely has its moments, it also has sweet scenes and lots of emotion.

Mischa Barton's Iconic Scene

Mischa Barton as Kyra in The Sixth Sense

While Mischa Barton is known for her portrayal of Marissa Cooper in the teen drama The O.C., she played Kyra Collins in The Sixth Sense, a young girl whose mother actually poisoned her. It was a horrifying thing to watch and has stuck with audiences ever since. This scene is one reason why The Sixth Sense is still an important horror movie that has endured all of these years. Without this moment, the movie not feel as scary. It added to the feeling that anything could happen to kids in this movie, from cruel parents to seeing ghosts.

In an oral history of The Sixth Sense with Variety, Barton said that she wasn't scared to film the scene because she likes things that are scary. Barton said, "creepy is part of my vernacular. It doesn’t really bother me that much. I’ve always been fascinated by gothic and dark things. So, it wasn’t like I was scared. It was more just really interesting subject matter. I’ve always felt like there’s a real need to do the character justice. Everybody just asks, “Was it traumatizing?” It really wasn’t. I was already 13 and I could handle it."

The Classic "I See Dead People" Moment

The Sixth Sense Haley Joel Osment Bruce Willis

While there are many iconic horror movie quotes, including some great quotes from Scream 2022 that became instant classics, no one can ever forget the moment when Cole tells Malcolm, "I see dead people." When audiences find out that Malcolm is dead, the connection between these two characters feels even more important and special. It's hard to think of a more horrifying moment than seeing an adorable, innocent child say that thay can see ghosts all the time.

M Night. Shyamalan told Variety that CGI wasn't really developed when the movie was being filmed so they did something else instead. Shyamalan explained, "CGI at that time was not perfected to the place where I felt comfortable that it could do breaths. So, we built a cold room. [Osment] wasn’t acting, it was cold, and you could see the physicality on his skin and the way he’s shivering. And even now, with CGI, I might do it the same way because of what it makes the actors do."

Osment told Rotten Tomatoes that they didn't expect this quote to go so far: the actor said, "Nobody circled that line or highlighted it or put it on the call sheet as a tag line or something that would come to kind of symbolize the film. I think it took us all by surprise when it sort of had a life of its own after the movie came out."

With terrifying scenes, great characters, and a bond between Cole and Malcolm that teaches Cole a lot while helping Malcolm move on from this world, it's no wonder that The Sixth Sense has long been considered one of the greatest horror movies ever made.

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