What actually happens
The patient who came back
The film opens in Philadelphia, where Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, is home with his wife, Anna, when a former patient named Vincent Grey breaks into the house. Vincent says that Malcolm failed him, shoots him, and then shoots himself. Come autumn, Malcolm takes on Cole Sear, a nine-year-old who reminds him of Vincent. Malcolm wants to help Cole to make up for what happened with Vincent, and maybe to get back to his wife, who has been cold and distant since the shooting. Cole's mother, Lynn, is worried about her son, especially when she notices unexplained marks on his body.
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A birthday party with a lock on the cupboard
At a birthday party, some bullies notice that Cole is afraid of a cupboard and lock him inside. He screams that someone is in there with him. When he comes out he faints and looks as though he has been hurt, and his mother blames the bullies. After that, Cole tells Malcolm that he sees dead people. Malcolm decides that Cole might be schizophrenic and considers dropping the case. Then he listens to an old tape of a session with Vincent and hears a man pleading for help in Spanish at a moment when Vincent was supposed to be alone. Malcolm realizes that Vincent could see them too and that Cole is telling the truth. He advises Cole to talk to the ghosts and try to help them, which should make them less scary.
Helping Kyra
One night Cole finds a girl ghost, Kyra Collins, vomiting nearby. This is the scene people brace for. It is startling, and she is not trying to hurt him. Cole works out who she is. He takes Malcolm to the reception after her funeral at her family home, because she died recently after a long illness. Upstairs in her room, Kyra leads Cole to a videotape, and he gives it to her father. The tape shows that her mother had poisoned her food, which explains how Kyra died and saves her younger sister from the same thing.
A school play and a talk with Mom
Helping Kyra gives Cole confidence, and he lands the lead in the school play. A ghostly director coaches him, and he performs with Malcolm in the audience. Before Malcolm leaves, Cole suggests he try talking to Anna while she sleeps so she can hear what he feels. After school that day, Cole finally tells Lynn his secret. She does not believe him until he describes things from her childhood that he could not have known, including visits from his late grandmother. Lynn is shocked and moved, and she believes him.
The ending, explained
Malcolm goes home and finds his wedding video playing and Anna asleep, asking him why he left. She drops his wedding ring, and he sees that he is not wearing it. He recalls Cole saying that ghosts do not realize they have died, and he finds his gunshot wound. Malcolm realizes he never survived Vincent's shot and has been a ghost through the whole time he worked with Cole. He tells Anna he had to help someone, that she was never second to anything, and that he loves her. Anna's face softens, which tells him she is at peace and free to go on with her life, and Malcolm's spirit leaves in a flash of light. Cole is fine, Lynn knows his secret, and Kyra's little sister is safe.
The post-credits ruling
There is no post-credits scene. You can leave when the credits start.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: fine, no dog dies.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is The Sixth Sense scary?
The Sixth Sense is a 5 out of 10 with medium dread. Most of the fear is quiet and eerie, there are a few startling jumps such as the vomiting ghost, and the ending is more bittersweet than frightening.
How does The Sixth Sense end?
Malcolm realizes he died when Vincent shot him at the start and has been a ghost ever since. He tells Anna he loves her, and his spirit leaves while Cole and his mother are fine.
Does the dog die in The Sixth Sense?
No dog dies in The Sixth Sense.
Is there a post-credits scene in The Sixth Sense?
No. The Sixth Sense has no post-credits scene, so you can leave when the credits start.
What is Cole's secret in The Sixth Sense?
Cole sees dead people, and the ghosts often do not know they are dead. In The Sixth Sense he learns to talk to them and help them, starting with Kyra Collins, and he finally tells his mother.
