Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” describes the journey of a boy named Cole Sear on his quest to fit in with his classmates, and the simultaneous changes that child psychologist Malcolm Crowe undergoes as he recovers from a previous failure. While this supernatural horror film is a great movie to watch during the Halloween season, it also provides insight into many of the issues that individuals today deal with, such as bullying, fitting into society and the manners in which psychologists study and treat children. The audience is placed inside the mind of a young child who is struggling and is therefore able to empathize and realize that he is simply an individual who needs help.
The film begins with a romantic scene in which Malcolm Crowe celebrates his accomplishments with his wife Anna. Anna is proud of Malcolm, yet mentions that he put his work above everything, including her. The mood of the scene shifts entirely when the couple notices that one of their windows has been shattered and there is a man standing in their bathroom with a gun in his hand. The man is identified as one of Malcolm’s previous patients named Vincent Grey, who has grown up but is still facing problems. Suspense is created as Vincent’s anger escalates and he blames it all on Malcolm. In the midst of the scene, Vincent raises the gun in his hand and shoots Malcolm and, afterward, himself.
The next fall, Malcolm begins working with a boy named Cole Sear who displays similar symptoms to that of Vincent. Cole has cuts on his arms, talks to himself, and has episodes in class. He has very few friends in class and his mom is overwhelmed and unable to deal with him. Malcolm has many doubts because of his previous failure with Vincent. He believes that if he helps Cole, it will allow him to redeem himself from his previous failure with Vincent. As Malcolm spends more time with Cole, he begins to understand his own feelings of loneliness, since his wife is seeing another man. Cole eventually tells Malcolm that he is able to see dead people. At first, Malcolm does not believe him; however, as he listens to previous tapes from his sessions with Vincent, he begins to believe Cole.
The tone of the movie shifts from cynicism to hope as Malcolm is able to help Cole deal with the voices he hears. Cole is able to form relationships with other children in his class and even participates in the school play. Cole sees the ghost of a girl in his room who was killed by a chronic illness. The next day he goes to the girl’s funeral. When he visits her room he sees her ghost again, however, she pushes a small box with a tape towards him. The tape contains footage of the girl’s mother poisoning her, which saves the girl’s sister, as she would have been the mother’s next victim. Furthermore, Cole is able to amend his relationship with his mother by conversing with his dead grandmother. His grandmother tells him that she is so proud of his mother, which he conveys to his mother. Cole and Malcolm also end on good terms and Cole suggests that Malcolm speak to Anna while she is asleep.
At the end of the movie, as Anna is sleeping and Malcolm is silently watching her, she asks “Why did you leave me?” and drops his wedding band on the floor. At this moment, Malcolm realizes that he is a ghost. Ever since Malcolm was shot, he has been a ghost presence who remained on Earth in order to redeem himself from his previous failure with Vincent and also tell his wife she was never second to his work. By completing these two tasks, Malcolm has cleared his name and is sent to Heaven. Although it was a shock to realize that Malcolm was actually a ghost, there is evidence as in many parts of the movie, individuals ignore Malcolm’s presence. Specifically, when Malcolm goes to meet Anna at a restaurant, he speaks to her the entire time and she does not acknowledge his existence and only whispers “Happy Anniversary” once she leaves. Furthermore, the waiter slips the check to Anna rather than Malcolm. Perhaps Shyamalan includes this twist at the end in order to highlight the futility of life. In the end, no one knows when they will die so it is best to live one’s life to the fullest.
“The Sixth Sense” touches on various topics such as being an outcast in society, struggling with one’s self-confidence, and learning how to overcome previous failures. The film not only provides the audience with hope but also allows us to understand that children who may be struggling to fit in deserve help. In addition, the film also highlights the manner in which psychologists study and aid children, which can be helpful if individuals are interested in the field of child psychology. Overall, “The Sixth Sense” is a great option for a scary film to watch during the Halloween season, and it also provides insight into many topics that plague the world today.
