The Sixth Sense
Haven’t seen this since I was 12 but it left such a visceral impression that I knew rewatching it would only make me appreciate it more. Even better was rewatching it with someone who hadn’t seen it before and seeing how they responded not only to the twist, but cried as each character finds a path toward healing.
The friend I watched it with is going to be a psychologist and Malcolm’s line “I needed to help someone” is what made her cry in particular, because she could relate to that being the thing that gives meaning to your life, helping others overcome their pain. Every single character has some form of healing to do and gets closure in a way that drives the general message home: don’t be scared of it, just listen. The way the scary elements stop being as frightening as Cole learns to cope with the heavy feelings that the ghosts project onto him is like a very empathetic person learning how not to be overwhelmed by their own perceptiveness.
The scene in the car at the end is my favorite for this reason. In that moment the mom isn’t the adult trying to keep it together, she’s that hurt little girl finally hearing what she needed to be soothed. Coming from the mouth of her child, who she’s desperately worried about, you can see how they are finally able to reconnect through their pain. It still hurts but it’s not as scary anymore because it’s being addressed; the unsettling anxiety you get at certain points in the movie is precisely what carrying undealt with pain can feel like. The performances are incredible and everything is so intentional it hits a deep nerve.