The Sixth sense [DVD]

This low key supernatural thriller harks back to the days of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur’s creepy horror films (“Cat people”, “The Leopard man”, “I walked with a zombie”) where the power of suggestion reigned and a mere shadow would have you jumping in your seat. So to does “The Sixth sense” manage to create that feeling of unknowable dread and terror. The film’s opening sets the mood of unease when renowned child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is accosted in his home by a disturbed ex-client. Flash forward one year and Dr. Crow is trying to mend the past by helping a new patient, who shares similar traits to his assailant. The patient is Cole Sear (Joel Haley Osment), a troubled young boy who lives his life in constant fear. Why he is scared all the time is one of the many creepy surprises this film holds. What could have easily been a substandard supernatural thriller is elevated by writer, director M. Night Shyamalan and his fine cast (which includes Toni Collette who shines in a all too brief supporting role), all of them showing a quiet restraint which pays off brilliantly in the film’s more frightening moments. Cast also includes Olivia Williams.