M. Night Shymalan has become a somewhat controversial figure and he's certainly had his share of ups and downs as a filmmaker, but way back in 1999, no one was walking into The Sixth Sense with any preconceived notions or expectations. In fact, it was probably the last time that would be the case for any of his movies.

The twist ending played like gangbusters and the resulting word of mouth transformed this modestly-budgeted thriller into the second highest grossing film of the year. Of course, this one has a lot more going for it than its big reversal, but somewhere along the way we reduced its pop culture cache to that final scene and the line "I see dead people".

So let's go back and figure out how The Sixth Sense pulled off its magic trick, why repeat viewings are just as rewarding, and what makes Shymalan such a polarizing filmmaker.

Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!