20 Huge Horror Movie Hits NOBODY Expected

Ridiculous though it might sound in retrospect, few had high hopes for The Sixth Sense when it released in the summer of 1999. 

Beyond the summer being a dumping ground for cast-off horror films at the time, the movie was also helmed by a little-known filmmaker called M. Night Shyamalan, who only had two middlingly received features to his name at that point. Furthermore, Disney sold the production rights to Spyglass Entertainment during development, seeming to indicate they didn't have full-throated faith in it.

Despite releasing with little hype, The Sixth Sense quickly became a surprise smash as critics and audiences alike tripped over themselves trying not to spoil its big twist, while praising Shyamalan's clever filmmaking and the excellent performances from Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, and Haley Joel Osment in particular.

Ultimately, on a budget of $40 million, the film netted an astonishing $672.8 million, making it the highest-grossing horror film ever at the time - a title it held for almost 20 years until it was dethroned by 2017's It (but more on that shortly).

Because that wasn't enough, The Sixth Sense also received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, in turn immediately putting Shyamalan on the map.