You Can Now Stream the Thriller Movie With the Best Plot Twist Ever on Disney+ (2024)

There is nothing more thrilling than a story taking its audience by surprise. When your expectations are completely flipped because you couldn't see that coming. An effective twist can make or break a story; think of seeing movies like Gone Girl, The Usual Suspects, or OldBoy for the first time and that feeling of your jaw dropping at the biggest moments. There is one filmmaker in particular known for pulling the rug out from audiences throughout his entire career: M. Night Shyamalan. For better and sometimes worse, Shyamalan cemented his reputation for subversion when his breakout film had the perfect twist ending that couldn't stop audiences from coming back to see how they missed it. We are, of course, talking about The Sixth Sense, which just started streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

'The Sixth Sense' Was a Phenomenon Upon Release

After a big summer where Star Wars fans met JarJar Binks, Austin Powers lost his mojo, Will Smithtook on a giant metal spider, and Kyle's mom taught us to blame Canada, August was set to be a typically quiet time at movie theaters. But then Bruce Willis met a kid who could see dead people, and for over a month, The Sixth Sensetopped the box office. Willis plays children's psychologist Malcolm Crowe who, after a personal tragedy that has caused a rift between him and his wife (Olivia Williams), attempts to counsel the troubled child Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). But Malcolm soon learns Cole is dealing with more than just bullies and an uneasy relationship with his mother (Toni Collette) when Cole reveals his secret. Together, Malcolm and Cole figure out how the young boy can help those coming from the other side, return them to some peace, and help each other with their personal problems. Just as the movie wraps up for a happy ending, we get the ultimate surprise... which we wouldn't dare spoil for the uninitiated.

What we will tell you is that this twist shocked people leaving the theater and led to many repeat viewings. Part of the fun with The Sixth Sense became trying to find all the clues that hinted at the ending's reveal. The film performed well with audiences, was embraced by critics, and by the Academy with six Oscar nominations. While plenty of this is due to the twist alone being noteworthy, it would mean nothing if The Sixth Sense wasn't a good enough film on its own to support it.

'The Sixth Sense' Is More Than Just Its Twist

As effective as the twist ending of The Sixth Sense was, there was soon criticism that Shyamalan was a one-trick pony. Shyamalan's following films, Signs, The Village, and Unbreakable, all featured some elements of a twist that proved far inferior to what he had pulled off with The Sixth Sense. What works about this film is that it isn't trying to keep you guessing. There is no hint of something to be unraveled or some great reveal to come. The film exists in the present tense of the story and that is compelling enough on its own.

The Sixth Sense is an effective drama and thriller about disaffected people trying to restore their connections to other people. Watching the film, you care about what the individual characters are going through. Will Malcolm be able to help Cole and not have another tragedy on his hands? Will Cole be able to overcome his terror or find a way to handle his gift? Will Cole's mother be able to accept him, or remain haunted by her failure as a parent? The story has enough unique elements and approaches the supernatural in a nuanced and grounded way that some of the best parts of the movie don't even come from Cole's gift. Even if you know the ending, you can still enjoy the story, as it's a stellar psychological thriller independent of its iconic twist.

There is a story-telling lesson as old as story telling itself: an ending should be surprising, but inevitable. What makes The Sixth Sense a great movie is that the twist makes sense thematically. Without divulging the film's secrets, the twist is a natural conclusion for what Malcolm and Cole had been working through the entire film. It's not just flipping the plot upside down that made audiences want to return to it, but how the twist enhances the overall story. It is a surprising ending, but also an inevitable one. Some movies don't go beyond a one-time watch once you learn their secrets; great movies continue to unpack themselves on re-watch. Lesser films have tried twists like The Sixth Sense, but it was careful consideration that makes this the ultimate twist and a classic ghost story.

The Sixth Sense

PG-13

Thriller

Drama

Horror

Mystery

Release Date

August 6, 1999

Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Cast

Bruce Willis , Toni Collette , Haley Joel Osment , Olivia Williams , Donnie Wahlberg

Runtime

107 minutes

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

The Sixth Sense is available to stream on and Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+