Haley Joel Osment and M. Night Shyamalan didn’t invent the twist ending. But their contributions to the concept of a twist ending in the seminal 1999 smash hit The Sixth Sense absolutely made audiences more hyper aware of a possible rug pull, making all of us more savvy as viewers. Osment no doubt lived with the concept of The Sixth Sense’s surprise ending for the duration of his career, so it’s understandable why – while out promoting his appearance in Zoe Kravitz’s Blink Twice – he has to address his legacy of keeping secrets, and other things that he learned from Bruce Willis while working on that supernatural juggernaut.
Zoe Kravitz makes her directorial debut with Blink Twice, which once was called Pussy Island and stars Channing Tatum as a tech bro hosting a party on a private island, though nothing is as it seems. (Cue ominous music.) Our positive review notes that the twists in the final act will be talked for the rest of the year. Just, don’t expect co-star Haley Joel Osment to flap his lips. While speaking with People about this movie, and his experience on The Sixth Sense, The Boys standout explained that his work on Sense prepped him for protecting the goods. He said:
I think we knew not to give away the ending (of The Sixth Sense), but there wasn't a lot of heat around it, like this was some secret we had to protect. It was just in the normal course of, ‘It's a thriller. We don't want to tell people what happened in the end.’ When the movie took off beyond our wildest expectations, that was one of the first times I remember having an experience of there being a spoiler that needed to be protected. So yeah, I think I have a long tradition of not revealing things.
Nowadays, everything needs to be protected. Some of that comes from the Marvel Studios culture of, “Don’t Tell!” But in general, thrillers deserve to play out in theaters, with an audience unaware of the possibility of a twist. Yes, there is a twist in Blink Twice, which Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie discuss with CinemaBlend (if you choose to read that). But also, just go to the movie. Discover it for yourself.
The Sixth Sense already was getting a lot of attention this year, as the seminal movie from M. Night Shyamalan turns 25 in 2024. The director has been sharing stories about working with Bruce Willis on the movie. I even wrote a book about Bruce Willis that digs deep into his filmography, and celebrates his range and diversity of roles. When People asked Osment what he learned from Willis while working on The Sixth Sense, the actor candidly admitted:
He's always going to be what a movie star is in my mind. And having that charisma and gravitas, and being able to come onto a set and to work with a 10-year-old, and to be really generous with his time — I got very lucky. … To see someone like Bruce do that, that's really been inspiring to me. That whatever position you have in the industry, everybody is on the same page.
Hopefully Haley Joel Osment is paying that attitude forward with other co-stars. Look for him in Blink Twice, and bookmark our guide to upcoming 2024 movies to help plan your next trip to the movie theaters.
