The Sixth Sense was not M. Night Shyamalan's first film, and I don't think it's his best. But it's definitely the one that put him on the cinematic (and box office) map. It was also the one that (unhelpfully, I believe) won him a reputation as The Twist Master, and he's spent the rest of his career alternately fleeing and cementing that reputation. Still not quite sure what he thinks of that fact, even as he embraces it.
After rewatching this one fairly recently myself, I decided that my opinion as to its place in his filmography -- somewhere in the Third to Fourth-Best range -- still held true. I don't think it entirely survives its attempts to skirt the "One-Trick Pony" precipice, and that limits its rewatchability (which is actually a hallmark of his best films, in my experience) At the same time, I was amazed at the confidence (even brashness) of its direction. ...or at least I would have been amazed if I hadn't stopped for a second and realized that confidence (even brashness) has been M. Night's greatest gift (and curse) for some time now.
It's on NETFLIX INSTANT.
When a 9-year-old boy inexplicably starts seeing dead people, he lands in the care of a child psychologist who's determined to uncover the truth.