10 best horror films to watch on Netflix right now

6. The Sixth Sense

This movie is iconic — even if you’ve already heard about the twist (and if you haven’t, you’re a lucky soul), the movie still has a powerful creep-factor and some great jump scares alongside a carefully woven plot that ties together perfectly at the end.

The plot itself is simple at first: after a traumatic experience with an ex-patient, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe looks into taking on a new patient: a kid named Cole who claims he sees dead people. Though Malcolm at first thinks it’s a hoax, he soon comes to realize that Cole is telling the truth — and that these spirits cannot be put to rest until they come to fulfill their final purpose. Rather than breaking out the proton packs or the holy water, Malcolm helps Cole to approach these spirits with the psychological approach: help them, instead of cast them out.

The ghosts themselves are where the movie’s horror really shines through. The scenes where Cole has to face them are terrifying, even after Cole starts trying to learn how to help them. So many moments in this movie are iconic all by themselves; when taken as a whole, it’s a masterful work of suspense with some genuinely spine-tingling horror. And of course, the ending is practically a cultural phenomenon. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.

The Takeaway

A pop-culture classic for a reason, a smart plot with a classic ending showcase the moments of genuine fear in The Sixth Sense.