Garlonuss

4th Mar 2011

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Question: If Malcolm is dead how does Cole's mother see him in the movie?

Answer: The answer is simple: she doesn't. If you watch the movie carefully, you'll note that the only one who actually ever acknowledges Malcolm's presence is Cole. For the rest of the movie, you only assume that everyone sees or acknowledges Malcolm simply because of the way the scenes are shot. When a scene starts by showing Malcolm sitting in a room with Cole's mother, we as a movie-going public have been trained to assume that means they have been talking. However, we never actually see that happen.

Garlonuss

Answer: It is established that ghosts "gloss over" evidence that they are dead. Malcolm probably has a general sense that he spoke with the mother, and would only realise he didn't if he deliberately thought about it or if Cole had pushed him to remember.