The Sixth Sense

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
The Sixth Sense Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Great, but sometimes scarier than R-rated horror.

PG-13 1999 106 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 47 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 277 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has some thoughtful and meaningful views on life and death that some viewers may find comforting, and others may find sad or disturbing. The ghosts that Cole sees are of people who died violently and they are gruesome, even shocking, in appearance; you'll see a shooting, a suicide, a poisoning, people hanging, and more. Some of the dead are children, one killed by her own mother.

Community Reviews

Charlotte .B
Charlotte .B Adult
July 20, 2021
age 13+

Cool, very well made

The sixth sense was really good. Overall a tense movie, but not over the top. Violence: Shows 3 people, a woman, a man, and a young boy, hanging on nooses in the school gym. Of course only Cole sees them. The woman has scratches,(or whip marks) in her face. Very quick. You see a woman with bruises on her face and cuts in her wrists and she yells something about her husband (probably domestic violence) is quick, but tense. You see a boy (13-14) walk into Coles room and come back out, he looks normal. He says “come on, let me show you where my dad keeps his gun.” When he turns around and walks back into his room, you can see the back of his head is completely blown out. You see raw flesh and blood, but it’s very quick. It is tense and a little shocking. You see a woman with raw burn marks in her shoulder and face, kind of gruesome, but again really quick. You see a female biker with some blood dropping down her face, but you don’t see anything but some blood. There are some jump scares, but nothing too shocking. Sex and inappropriate stuff : You see a naked woman in the shower, but it’s foggy and you can’t see anything. Maybe a kiss or two, nothing really at all. Young Cole goes to pee, you don’t see anything, but you hear the pee. Language: Cheese d*ck, and 2 uses of sh*t. Cole gets called a freak Scariness: Tense, some shocking scenes, but nothing too bad

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
Gabriella A.
Gabriella A. Adult
October 28, 2019
age 13+

This is a great movie, but maybe not for kids

I think this is one of the best "horror" movies ever, and actually a quite beautiful love story between a married couple - but maybe not for kids. I watched it with my 11 year old this weekend, and though she is quite mature, she is still innocent and I think we want to keep that for as long as possible. I misjudged her ability to absorb this movie. Yesterday she told me that she is having ongoing images of: dead people hanging, a girl vomiting endlessly after her mother poisoned her to death, and a dead man with blood on his back. I think this movie made her question parts of life and death she isn't ready for, and I wish I'd listened to the more conservative parent reviews before asking her to watch this.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 47 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a gifted therapist who specializes in children. The night he receives an award for his work, a former patient breaks into his house and shoots Dr. Crowe and then himself. Months later, Dr. Crowe is still very shaken. He feels that he can't communicate with his wife. He is treating just one patient, a boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who reminds him of the patient he believes he failed. Malcolm gradually wins Cole's trust, and Cole confides that he sees "dead people." At first, Malcolm thinks this is a symptom of deep psychological disturbance, but then he comes to believe that Cole really does see the spirits of people who have died and he must find a way to make that experience less terrifying for him.

Is It Any Good?

This is one of the rarest of movie treats, a thinking person's thriller that is genuinely haunting. You're lucky if you see a movie that you are still thinking about it hours later. Its ultimate conclusion is stunning but, in retrospect, inevitable. Parents should not be misled by the PG-13 rating. This movie is in some ways far scarier than the R-rated The Blair Witch Project. Parents should be cautious about allowing children under high school age to watch it, and should be prepared to talk to kids about the movie, because even teens may find it upsetting.

Osment is truly sensational, one of the finest performances ever given by a child. Willis complements him perfectly, and the interaction between the two of them is deeply touching. This movie has some thoughtful and meaningful views on life and death that some viewers may find comforting, and others may find sad or disturbing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about ghost stories. What makes this one particularly gripping? How does the director scare you without going for over-the-top violence?

  • Families could lead into a discussion on loss. Have you lost someone important to you? How does the thought about losing someone make you feel? Where do people go when they die?

  • Families could talk about the importance of communication.

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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    One of the all-time great haunted house movies.

    age 13+
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    Suspenseful Shyamalan movie has extreme tension and peril.

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