The Sixth Sense Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Cole Sear, played by Haley Joel Osment, in the film The Sixth Sense, directed by M. Night Shyamalan (1999).

Ghost stories seem to require two things—scares and catch phrases. Hit films like Poltergeist ("They're he-eeere") and Ghostbusters ("Who ya gonna call?") have both requirements covered.

So, when writer/director M. Night Shyamalan set out to redefine the ghost story, he knew he still needed to satisfy both these requirements while adding a signature plot twist or two.

And, boy, did he. 

In his creepfest debut, The Sixth Sense, a child psychologist (Bruce Willis, who still had hair) tries to help a young boy named Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment). In the film's iconic scene, Cole, huddled up in bed, peeks out from the sheets and whispers a confession: "I see dead people." 

And—spoiler alert from a million years ago—one of those dead people is Bruce Willis. Gasp!

Where you've heard it

You've heard this line in any spoof of a ghost story (content: language and drugs), or when discussing the crash-and-burn career trajectories of either director M. Night Shyamalan or star Haley Joel Osment.

Additional Notable References

• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
• Bart Simpson's chalkboard gag
• A track on the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End score

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

There's nothing pretentious about admitting you see dead people, unless you're trying to capitalize on it like Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium. If you see creepy dead people like in the movie, by all means please let us know…so we can stay far, far away from you.