Analysis
Symbols and Tropes
Hero's Journey
Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...
Setting
It's Not Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaThe Sixth Sense's Philadelphia is extremely picturesque, but spooky, too. The bulk of the movie takes place in the fall, with lots of yellowing and falling leav...
Point of View
Omniscient...But NotAt first glance, we think we're getting a pretty sweeping view of Cole's and Malcolm's lives. We're in Malcolm's house, then we're following him around on the street, then we're...
Genre
Family Drama and ThrillerThe Sixth Sense is billed as—and is—a thriller. The film begins with Malcolm's creeptastic former patient breaking in and shooting Malcolm and himself, and then we meet...
What's Up With the Title?
Let us just say: if we had to pick something to add to the list of the five "normal" senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), we probably wouldn't go with Cole's particular talent. Instead...
What's Up With the Ending?
HE WAS DEAD THE WHOLE TIME.Whew. Yep—it's one of the biggest twists in movie history.Here's the deal: Malcolm comes home and starts talking to his wife while she's sleeping. He's doing this at Co...
Shock Rating
PG-13There's not a ton of bad language and very little friskiness on the sex front, but there are some seriously freaky dead people everywhere: dead people puking up cereal, dead people who shot th...