The 6th Man poster

The 6th Man

Gatekeeper Strong in semis, fades in finals
1997 · Fantasy, Drama, Comedy, Science Fiction · Randall Miller

The 36% rate for The 6th Man reflects a film that can compete in the middle rounds but loses when the bracket reaches the final — the semifinals are usually its best stage. A supernatural basketball comedy that shouldn't work but does, carried by the Wayans brothers' chemistry and a premise goofy enough to let its emotional beats land without feeling manipulative. Voters pick in 1.3s on average — well under the 3.5s platform norm.

Synopsis

A college athlete returns from the dead to help his brother's basketball team win the NCAA title.

Round 1
32.4%
11/34
Semifinals
72.7%
Where it thrives
Finals
0%
The ceiling

Everything before the final looks solid — 32% opening, 73% semis. Then 0%. The drop from semis to finals is one of the steepest on the platform.

Air Bud at 50% is as close to a dead heat as the platform produces. Every vote matters in this one. Love & Basketball is the easy matchup at 86%. Above the Rim is the kryptonite at 32%. The gap between best and worst opponent says a lot about what The 6th Man can and can't handle.

Closest Rival
Dominates
Kryptonite

Basketball Movie Madness Part II - The Snubs typically ends in the semifinals for The 6th Man: loses to Above the Rim (32%) in round one, dominates Love & Basketball (86%) in the semifinals.

BingeBracket Record
36%
Win Rate
#27 of 32 in Fantasy #40 of 45 from the 1990s
Scores based on real fan votes in head-to-head brackets. 50% = wins as often as it loses — perfectly average.
Featured Tournament

Dead last in Basketball Movie Madness Part II - The Snubs.

Disagree? Vote to change it.

Above the Rim #1
The Basketball Diaries #2
Air Bud #3
Blue Chips #4
Semi-Pro #5
Inside Moves #6
The 6th Man #7
Love & Basketball #8
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About These Rankings

BingeBracket ranks films through head-to-head matchups in 8-film brackets — no star ratings, no reviews, just direct comparison. Browse tournaments, try Discovery mode, or explore the leaderboards. You can also .