# When did you figure out the twist in "The Sixth Sense?" \[edited thread title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2013, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377 "2013-08-05T06:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/41 "2013-08-05T18:19:30Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Yes. A great twist because for once it’s one that actually makes sense, there are no cheats AFAICT, so it’s one of the most satisfying conclusions to a film. There’s one cheat - when Willis tries to get into his basement office, the door’s always locked, and he can’t find his key. When he realizes he’s dead, we see that the door is, in fact, blocked by a table that Willis couldn’t perceive. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/42 "2013-08-05T18:32:34Z")
I got it somewhat early: when Cole and Crowe are talking in whispers and Cole says that the dead people he sees don’t know they’re dead. That made me flash back to the shooting and I excitedly whispered to my date, “I get it! He’s dead, from the shooting!” Normally, I’m not that much of an ass with respect to spoiling things; it just popped out spontaneously with my excitement at realizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/43 "2013-08-05T18:36:33Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > He was wearing the same clothes throughout, right? I work with a guy who wears the same clothes every day. I assume he either does laundry every day or his closet is full of multiple copies of the same suit. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/44 "2013-08-05T18:44:42Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > I work with a guy who wears the same clothes every day. I assume he either does laundry every day or his closet is full of multiple copies of the same suit. Probably the brother to that woman Jerry dated on Seinfeld. Anyway, to answer the OP, I got it right after he was shot, but only because I read a review in the paper, and while it didn’t spoil it, it DID say that “you will never see the HUGE TWIST ENDING coming.” I thought to myself, “Well, NOW I WILL” (And, in fact, did.) Hard to say if I would have noticed it before the reveal otherwise…I was only about 16 when I saw it, and not as astute, especially WRT movies, so probably not. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/45 "2013-08-05T19:24:09Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > E.g., when the kid does the “I see dead people.” speech in the hospital. “They don’t know they’re dead.” Hard to remember but I think it was that line for me. I’m usually oblivious to these things. I was completely taken in by The Usual Suspects but the “I see dead people” speech was the big aha for me. I think that was after the restaurant scene which made that scene beautifully weird and sad and real. Today’s our 24th anniversary and, though we’re stronger than ever now, there was a patch in the mid '00s that felt exactly like that scene. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/46 "2013-08-05T19:35:25Z")
Not all the way to the end at the big reveal, but close to it. After the scene where Cole is in the school play, Cole tells Crowe that he knows how he can talk to his wife, just wait until she’s asleep. I thought to myself “why would her being asleep make a difference…?” and then the light bulb came on. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/47 "2013-08-05T20:21:54Z")
In some ways I feel he kind of cheated by taking advantage of how movies tell a story by not showing things that are inconsequential to the storytelling. Things weren’t shown and the viewer was left to assume what happened off screen. That’s how movies are made. When the viewer is never shown what happens off-screen (where does Crowe go at night? When does he eat? Him interacting with other people in situtations unimportant to the story, etc) we fill in the narrative ourselves. To hold that against the viewer is somewhat of a cheat. Like saying “Have you ever watched the Bad News Bears? Did you notice it’s never nighttime?” or, “Did you know Han Solo is a robot? They never show him eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom. Isn’t it obvious?” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/48 "2013-08-05T20:52:31Z")
Other: Spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/49 "2013-08-05T21:14:51Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Unfortunately, the OP doesn’t list enough key points. > > E.g., when the kid does the “I see dead people.” speech in the hospital. At that point anyone remotely paying attention will get it. Gee, they don’t know they’re dead and they don’t see each other. I wonder if that could possibly apply to anyone in the movie, especially someone that was seriously shot? > > Any of the “conversations” with the widow before that point. > > I picked the scene right after the shooting. I only knew the line “I see dead people.” from the ads. I didn’t know it was supposed to have a “twist” (and I still don’t think it does). But that conversation with the kid iced it right away. Even **Mrs. FtG** knew it at that moment and she doesn’t get into a film like I do. Well maybe, but what’s cool is, there is a point to that shooting scene being there. It’s where we see “the one that got away”; the kid that willis couldn’t help. If that scene was just there in isolation with no point being in the film then I think my thoughts would have returned to it after the hospital scene. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/50 "2013-08-05T21:18:42Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > TBH, I had heard the talk about there being a “twist ending” before I saw the movie so I was kind of looking for things that might tip me off to what the twist might be. If I had known absolutely nothing about the movie before I saw it I probably wouldn’t have figured it out. This is about where I was. Saw years after it came out and heard there was a twist. So when it opens with Willis getting shot, I thought “Well then he must be dead.” 74westy brings up Usual Suspects… I recently read where someone says they feel that movie “cheats” b/c there’s no obvious clues that he’s getting the information for the story… b/c you never see the big reveal till the big reveal. I don’t necessarily know why that’s a _problem_ or a _flaw_ per se. The fact that you can’t really crack the (entirety of) that twist the first time you watch it, you just have to get thumped by it… how is that “wrong”? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/51 "2013-08-05T21:28:08Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I learned about it having not seen the film. ☹ So I’ve never watched it, I really wish I had before I knew. I’ll bet it was awesome. The movie is completely watchable and enjoyable even if you know the twist (I think that’s the case with most good movies with twist endings). If would be a shame if it wasn’t - presumably everybody knows the twist by now, and if that ruined the movie, no one would ever need to see it ever again. I knew about the twist before I first saw the movie, too. In fact, it was the only reason I bothered with it in the first place, I wanted to see how it was done. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/52 "2013-08-05T21:35:48Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > The movie is completely watchable and enjoyable even if you know the twist (I think that’s the case with most good movies with twist endings). If would be a shame if it wasn’t - presumably everybody knows the twist by now, and if that ruined the movie, no one would ever need to see it ever again. Agreed. Despite realizing what was going on right away, I really enjoyed the movie and how well Bruce Willis played the role of not being directly aware of his situation and eventually realizing it. It kept me on the edge of my seat in terms of wondering “Is he going to catch on … now?” (Plus it has Toni Collette _and_ Olivia Williams in it.) ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/53 "2013-08-05T21:36:12Z")
I am still unclear if Cole knew Malcolm was dead throughout the movie. If that is obvious to everyone else, it still isn’t to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/54 "2013-08-05T21:39:34Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > In some ways I feel he kind of cheated by taking advantage of how movies tell a story by not showing things that are inconsequential to the storytelling. > Things weren’t shown and the viewer was left to assume what happened off screen. That’s how movies are made. > When the viewer is never shown what happens off-screen (where does Crowe go at night? When does he eat? Him interacting with other people in situtations unimportant to the story, etc) we fill in the narrative ourselves. > To hold that against the viewer is somewhat of a cheat. Isn’t every twist ending kind of a cheat? The twist can’t be surprising unless it contradicts some of the audience’s previous assumptions about what was going on. Although I didn’t guess the twist, I think _The Sixth Sense_ plays pretty fairly with the audience. It explains the “rules” for ghosts within the world of the movie and we don’t see the Bruce Willis character do anything that contradicts those rules. I can think of a number of other twist ending movies where keeping the audience in the dark requires showing us things that didn’t happen, couldn’t have happened, or at least don’t make much sense once you know the twist. Cracked has done several pieces about these kinds of dumb movie plot twists. Anyone who wants examples and doesn’t mind being spoiled should check out “[6 Huge Movie Plot Twists That Caused Even Bigger Plot Holes](http://www.cracked.com/article_20298_6-huge-movie-plot-twists-that-caused-even-bigger-plot-holes_p2.html#ixzz2b8KecWS2)” and “[The 10 Most Asinine Movie Twist Endings](http://www.cracked.com/article_15621_the-10-most-asinine-movie-twist-endings.html)”. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/55 "2013-08-05T22:20:00Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > At that point anyone remotely paying attention will get it. . A real charmer this one. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/56 "2013-08-05T22:22:25Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > When the viewer is never shown what happens off-screen (where does Crowe go at night? When does he eat? Him interacting with other people in situtations unimportant to the story, etc) we fill in the narrative ourselves. > To hold that against the viewer is somewhat of a cheat. For this film, it works because we’re seeing things from the point of view of a ghost. The ghost doesn’t ask these questions about its own existence, and we are led not to as well. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/57 "2013-08-06T00:04:16Z")
Now I know that the spoiler rule holds regardless of lapsed time. The earnet isn’t always good for ya. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/58 "2013-08-06T00:45:22Z")
I saw it opening weekend in the theater and did not a twist existed. That is the essential thing, **not knowing any twist was coming**. I had no idea until the movie revealed it. No one in the theater figured it out and the place, which was quite full, erupted in shock. I mean people were talking to total strangers to make sure they understood. It was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it in a theater and it is probably the most memorable movie going moment I’ll ever have. > [@pohjonen](#): > > I am still unclear if Cole knew Malcolm was dead throughout the movie. If that is obvious to everyone else, it still isn’t to me. Yeah, I think the kid knows the whole time. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/59 "2013-08-06T01:04:38Z")
When I saw it, I went with my then wife and a friend of hers and they had both seen it already. She kept looking over at me and nudging me at every instance where I should have figured out that he was dead the whole time … but I totally didn’t see it coming. The big reveal was classic. I thought it was a great movie. So much so that I went to see other M. Night Shyamalan movies. What the hell was I thinking? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377/60 "2013-08-06T01:45:27Z")
Not until the wedding ring hit the floor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-figure-out-the-twist-in-the-sixth-sense-edited-thread-title/665377.md?page=4)