The Others is a very remarkable film from more than just one viewpoint. In an era where you can only impress young horror fanatics with bucket-loads of blood and gross-out effects, Amenábar actually re-teaches his audience that fear is especially caused by suggestion and the absence of explicit images. The Others is the first intelligent horror film in years, completely relying on atmosphere and eerie set pieces. It's such a relief to finally see a subtle film that is also effective! I'm normally not much of Nicole Kidman fan but she's very convincing as the prudish, over-concerned mother who desperately tries to protect her children from the outside world (daylight in particular). She lives in a remote mansion and waits, along with her 2 children, for WWII to be over. With the arrival of 3 servants, strange events star to occur in the old house and the daughter spots 'intruders' everywhere. The screenplay - by Amenábar himself - is not totally unique (filmfreaks who're familiar with expressionism highlights from the 60's will quickly guess the hidden plot twist) but it's filled with ingenious findings and sublime dialogues. The Others reminds you of 'The Innocents' and there are far worse films to get compared with, if you ask me! What also is rather amazing about this production is that Amenábar seems so confident! This is his first giant Hollywood adventure with stars in the cast and American money and yet he has total control over everything. The acting is great, the plot actually scares you and the directing is solid. The Others is a total winner and easily one of the greatest genre-films of the last few decades.
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Coventry4 November 2004
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bettajosh16 February 2019Can't say much without it spoiling the movie! Rating 9 because a lot of it moved a bit slowly but I guess that was all for a reason!
Movie was fantastic but the ending was even better!!
Definitely worth a watch! If you get bored by any chance, stick through it, trust me!! -
cosmic_quest19 October 2007At a time when horror films constitute silly teenagers blindly wandering into danger and unnecessary gore, 'The Others' is like a breath of fresh air. It goes back to the roots of the horror genre, employing an eerie atmosphere and mysterious characters to conjure the chilly backbone of the film.
'The Others' is set in the Forties and revolves around staunchly Catholic Grace Stewart, who lives in an old mansion located on the island of Jersey with her highly photo-sensitive children ten-year-old Anne and six-year-old Nicholas. The house is almost permanently entrenched in darkness, in deference to the children's condition, and Grace's husband is lost in war, only enhancing the sense of gloom to the story. One morning, three servants mysteriously turn up at the door of the Stewart mansion, despite Grace having not yet advertised the posts, to replace the previous servants who had suddenly left their posts a week earlier. Anne then begins to maintain the house is haunted, her deduction supported by the fact locked doors left ajar, closed curtains suddenly being found opened and furniture moving when there's no-one in the room. Grace, deeply ingrained in her religious belief that ghosts don't exist, initially refuses to believe her daughter but soon she questions her faith as she can't deny there is something ominous about the house...
Nicole Kidman gives an excellent performance as the almost cold and aloof Grace, who does love her children dearly even if she doesn't always show it openly. Fionnula Flanagan, Eric Sykes and Elaine Cassidy, as the three servants, are suitably mysterious by showing they seem to know more than they let on, leaving viewers questioning their motives from the start. But it is the young child actors, Alakina Mann and James Bentley, who steal the show as Anne and Nicholas. Despite their age and inexperience, both children given first-class depictions of their characters, showing their isolation thanks to their medical conditions and their reliance on one another despite typical sibling discord at times. Mann, in particular, excels in portraying the stubborn nature of Anne and her precarious relationship with her mother. It is a shame this child never continued her acting career because she is a credit to young British acting.
'The Others' is a subtle horror films for those sick of cheap Hollywood horror flicks and are seeking interesting characters and an intelligent plot. While there are no special effects or buckets of blood in this film, in the tradition of 'The Exorcist' and 'The Devil's Backbone', it instead relies upon more old-fashion methods of frightening the audience, which are far more effective. The story is well-paced, leaving the audience guessing what is happening and what the characters' motives are right to the end.
This film has to be one of the best horror films I've ever seen and puts many films in the horror genre to shame. I highly recommend it to those who appreciate the value of suspense and a good fright. -
Sleepin_Dragon8 August 2021Twenty years on, and The Others still rates as one of the best, most memorable horrors of the last two decades. It doesn't have the cheap gore or lazy scares that so many do, this has the element of menace, the scares are more measured, and suitably placed.
It's very different to almost every other horror I can think of, it's like a story from a much earlier era, but given up to date production values and acting. It benefits of course from such a wonderful cast, Kidman is awesome, and does a terrific English accent.
The ending came as a massive surprise, and was perhaps the most chilling element of the film. It is loaded with atmosphere, it's thoroughly engrossing, I would hugely recommend this film, 10/10. -
ca_localgirl24 October 2001This is one of the best movies I have seen all year, and one of the top horror stories ever told. It's creepy, simplistic, and eerie.
I was impressed by the enchanting simplicity of the plot, the lack of need for "Hollywood" special effects, and the haunting atmosphere that loomed over everything from beginning to end.
The first half, or even three quarters, seemed to move along a bit slowly, but it felt necessary to build the suspense to the point where I was biting my nails in anticipation of the inevitable.
Nicole Kidman's character, Grace... I was torn between empathy and disgust for her at times, but she definitely succeeded at captivating me with their lives and story. Predictable in parts, but it still leaves you guessing. This was a quality ghost story, with an old fashioned ambiance; downright spooky.
I was in awe of the ending, a fairly intelligent premise. It's the kind of movie that lets you escape reality for a while by entertaining you, but at the same time, returns you to the "real world" with your spine tingling, wondering if there isn't some possibility of truth... Chilling. -
Kirpianuscus29 July 2018After each occasion when I saw it, I define it as masterpiece. sure, many explanations. but something is real impressive - the plot. the science to explore each emotion, expectation, thrill, supposition about story, characters and end. the performances are more than beautiful. the atmosphere - you feel it . the tension - real embroidery. the great good point - it is a film about yourself. about fears, certitudes and appearances. and that does it a magnificent film. and more. a remarkable masterpiece.
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FilmOtaku6 November 2004Rarely does a scary film come around that isn't schlocky and obvious. 'The Others', directed by the great Alejandro Amenabar (Abre los Ojos) is a stylish, spooky and fun film to watch that doesn't cheapen itself like so many in the genre. It is 1947 on the island of Jersey in England, and Grace (Nicole Kidman) is the mother of two small children, Charles (Christopher Eccleston) and Anne (Alakina Mann) who are allergic to the sunlight, so they are not allowed to go outside. Moreover, any room they are in has to be locked with the curtains shut, a cumbersome task in their mansion with its 50 doors. Mysteriously, the mansion's staff left the week before, which precipitates the arrival of three new servants; a gardener and two housekeepers who are promptly hired. Further complicating matters is the fact that Anne keeps talking to an unseen child, and unexplained footsteps, opened curtains and doors opening and shutting are starting to wear thin on the already uber-fragile Grace, until the occurrences threaten their lives.
With 'The Others', Amenabar gives us a truly spooky and stylish thriller. The foggy atmosphere outside of the mansion, the dark rooms lit by candles within the house, both of these are just many of the beautiful stylistic areas of the film. Kidman is great as the incredibly brittle and mentally frayed Grace. While she puts on a cool, haughty façade, the circumstances she finds herself in are clearly eating away at her sanity. The actors who play her children are actually quite good themselves, particularly Alakina Mann, who holds her own in her confrontational scenes with Kidman and others. The screenplay, also written by Amenabar is quite intelligent, and if you haven't heard the 'twist' at the end, it is pretty ingenious. It is ingenious and well-written regardless, but the impact upon discovery is pretty decent.
'The Others' is not a phenomenal film by any means, but it is a refreshing change from the standard thriller/suspense fare, because it adds a truly intelligent and stylish bent to the genre. Other than children, (obviously) this film can be recommended to pretty much anyone, as long as they don't expect it to be the frenetic, jump-cut fest that is so prevalent nowadays. 'The Others' takes its time to get to its reveal, and it is worth every minute. 7/10
Shelly -
SteveMadcow2 December 2001The Others is yet another in a long list of great horror movies of the new millennium. I have always loved ghost stories, and this film has easily become my favorite ghost story ever. It's like one of the great old black and white ghost stories but better. It takes you on a slow, and uncomfortable ride.
The story is simple. Grace lives in a mansion with her two children, both allergic to sunlight. That little twist on the story was just great. It makes the film completely opposite than other ghost stories, with Grace not afraid of the dark, and making sure to keep the light out, to save her children. This provides us with a very creepy, and dark atmosphere. Plus the mansion is also a creepy place. Not to mention, that in the film everyone who enters the house, must close the previous door, before opening the next.
Nicole Kidman is perfectly cast in The Others. This may be one of her best performances ever (She was also great in this years Moulin Rouge). She was really very believable in the part. The two kids in this film were also fantastic. Alakina Mann as Anne was terrific. She played the bullying sister great. She and James Bently, who played Nicolas, really seemed like siblings. Awesome job by both. Fionnula Flanagan was also fantastic as Mrs. Mills. She really creeped me out, and I didn't know where she stood. Was she good or bad? I didn't know, but her acting was right on the ball.
Alejandro Anemabar directed The Others with such atmosphere. The dark lighting is creepy, and the cinematography is beautiful. This guy's has got a bright future. To accompany all the atmosphere we get a fabulous score by the director, Alejandro Amenabar. The music is creepy, and really adds to the feel of a 50's ghost story. It also sets the mood of the film, and makes the scary scenes, even scarier. The score is fabulous. Not only did Alejandro Amenabar direct, and score, but he wrote the great, and well-developed screenplay.
The Others is not without a great twist ending, that should shock everyone. I did not see it coming, and it's such an original concept to use in a ghost story. It worked well, and I was speechless after the film. Outstanding finale.
This film is yet another horror film that proves that big budget special effects suck! This film is scary, and it only had a $17m budget. The Others did great at the box office, and deserved every buck it earned. It's a creepy film, that has its very scary moments. This is a film that will not be forgotten. It'll be stuck in my mind for a long time. This really reminded me of an old 40's or 50's film. I highly recommend this film to every fan of ghost stories.
The Others: 10/10, A+ -
I have to dislike it since it has scared me so much I'm pottying for the second time in 30 minutes. If you wanna be scared like that, watch this movie TILL THE END. If you don't wanna trouble yourself and stay in peace get the hell out of this movie and never think of watching it again. I got so scared, I started this movie at 11.50 PM in the night and I'm done with it at almost 2 in the midnight. It can't get any scarier than this. The scariest part I'm referring to isn't the whole movie, however, I don't wanna create any spoilers for you. Take care and love your loved ones more.
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It's funny that I see this movie the way I do, perhaps I'm more perceptive to little dramatic, human touches, but I saw this movie and was satisfied with it. In fact, I fell in love with it. This movie is chilling, very spooky, with a few moments that will make you jump, but it's a movie that works itself up, and by the end of the movie you feel scared, and like someone has zapped you a few times, chilly from inside out, but fulfilled.
People have been comparing this to "Sixth Sense". Though the movie may share similarities, this stands on it's own. It's content is not trying to send a message, except for a universal theme that you want to grasp onto. There is historical and religious content, purely in context for the twists and turns and nuances to make this film so complete in every aspect. Everything works so well. This movie takes pride in each scene, and each is set up so that you get the most of it. Everything relates to everything, you are given clues the entire movie, but it's set up so masterfully the ending is the suprise you've been waiting for.
The performance by Kidman and the two children are one of a kind. It's a realistic interaction between siblings and a controlling, dysfunctional, but loving mother. The acting and writing (the script) is so well done, it adds for scattered scenes that will, hopefully, stick around with you for a long time. There's this one beautiful scene in the movie, it's where Grace (Nicole Kidman) is hugging her son, and her daughter (who is slightly estranged from her mom) runs up and hugs her, and there this look of absolute release on the face of Grace. Another great scene is when Grace carries her rifle around the house (shoot the ghost!), and she's desperately trying to protect her house and children. There are more like that, so keep your eyes open.
The cinematography is innovative and brilliant, camera angles and the lighting set everything up so well. The lighting is very important as well, in fact, the subject of "light" is so well mixed into the story, the dark feels safer and more secure than the light does. There are times when you long for the darkness, just as the characters long for the darkness (due to a part of the plot including a health condition of the children, which serves a basis for the mental thrill fest to come). To finish off this concoction, try to listen to the score, because it's very fitting.
This is more of a drama than a thriller, though it deserves to be a thriller (it's scary), but the power of it's dramatic side comes bursting through. This is a beautiful movie, it has overtones of a more serious side, and it's a movie that hardly belongs in the horror section because of it's beauty, but it's too darned eerie, weird, and chilling to fit anywhere else. -
Theo Robertson13 January 2005I watched THE OTHERS simply because Christopher Eccleston in it , a future DOCTOR WHO in a scary movie , now this I've got to see , but to be honest Eccleston's role is little more than cameo while the always consistent Nicole Kidman isn't the real star of the movie - It's writer/director Alejandro Amenabar
From the opening shots where the servants arrive at Grace Stewart's house I had the story pegged as to where it was going . Grace is an absolute nutter isn't she ? But then the story twists and turns a little and then I thought she might be a victim , I mean these servants ... But the story keeps twisting along nicely so that the script is one step ahead of the audience . There is a slight problem though if you're familiar to Amenabar's work , especially ABRE LOS OJOS and that is that he's a master of the shock twist ending and I thought with the appearance of Eccleston's Charles Stewart half way through the movie I had the story sussed . I actually did work out how he fitted into the story and was correct in guessing his fate but I never believed in what the twist ending was so well done Senor Amenabar
There is a problem with this type of story and THE OTHERS is no different in that respect - You can only enjoy the movie once since you know the shock twist at the end when you see it a second , third , fourth time and there's another very successful film ( No clues but you'll know the one I'm talking about after you see this ) that has the same idea which means comparison's are inevitable , but it's difficult to compare to one another . Certainly THE OTHERS has a more creepy atmosphere and probably a better pace and cast with special mention going to Alakina Mann as Anna who plays her role as a totally convincing horrid brat , nice to know Amenabar has resisted the temptation to portray the children as sugery sweet little cherubs which is often the case in Hollywood movies , you might not believe this but THE OTHERS in fact is a Spanish film -
overthetop1015 August 2001If I had to sum up this movie in a word, it would be "chilling." The Others is a delightfully atmospheric suspense film. It's tense, scary, and very memorable -- I don't think I'll ever forget the image of a terrified Nicole Kidman clutching her rosary beads around her shotgun as she tears down the halls of her dreadful Victorian mansion.
Writer/director/composer Alejandro Amenabar creates a dark, dark atmosphere, in which you feel like you can't trust anyone. Nicole Kidman, in her brilliant performance as Grace, is supposedly the "heroine" of the film, but as I watched the movie I found myself more frightened of her than rooting for her; steely and overbearing, with a hint of psychotic hysteria in her icy eyes. And then the children, (held their own and even stole a few scenes from the more experienced players) were just hellishly creepy. The little girl was one of the most ominous characters I have ever seen in a film. And the servants (who were also finely played) will keep you guessing the whole way through. Every time you think you have it figured out, some of the household help will pop up and throw the whole framework off-kilter.
The real attraction in this film is Nicole Kidman, following up her bravura performance as Satine in "Moulin Rouge" with a woman teetering between insanity and iron control. Grace has so many layers, and Kidman reveals almost all of them through her face. The film is anchored by her presence, and she plays off the other actors extremely well -- note the tense relationship she has with Anne, her daughter. When the two lock eyes, it's like watching two trains crash head-first into one another.
The only disappointment in this movie is the ending, which is slightly anti-climactic. When you get to it, you'll be satisfied, and it ties up everything that's happened in the movie up to that point quite well. But it seemed almost anti-climactic, and I was left feeling a little bit let down.
Overall, I gave The Others a 9/10. -
PsychoBeard66619 March 2021I was 17 when this came out and I didn't think much of it at the time. 20 years later I just watched it for the second time and it was much better than I remember.
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fieldy8 November 2002'The Others' takes up way more time in the viewer's life than it deserves. It is only vaguely worth it for its trick ending, and let's face it, if it didn't have an ending like that there would be nothing to the film at all.
Everything plods along so slowly, and there are quite a few things which seem illogical, for example how the daughter screams wildly at some things but is very matter-of-fact about sightings of intruders in the house.
Because nothing much is happening, it is only inevitable that some major shock ending is coming, and quite frankly, while it is surprising, it's not really that mind-blowing, and certainly doesn't make the whole movie worthwhile.
Could have been a lot better. -
nycritic10 May 2005The Stewart household is a strange one. An isolated house in the Isle of Jersey, it's constantly enveloped in thick, blue fog, all doors must remain closed, and drapes block the sunlight because the children suffer from an illness in which they are extremely sensitive to it. Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman, finally coming to her own in a story worthy of her talents), wakes up one morning screaming from what may have been a nightmare. Three strangers arrive to the house and they tell Grace they are replying for her request for domestic help -- and almost immediately, though subtly, strange events begin happening and it slowly becomes clear that there are other unseen, unwanted people occupying their quarters. This only becomes more evident when Grace discovers, to her horror, that these servants are more than what they seem to and that her own reality is not what she believes it to be.
Alejandro Amenabar had already caught the attention of Tom Cruise who produced and starred in his own remake of OPEN YOUR EYES, which gave Cameron Diaz a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and here he establishes himself for the American movie going public with his follow-up. Again going for clever storytelling -- even if it takes a while to take off -- and relying on atmosphere rather than on expensively produced special effects, it's a showcase for Nicole Kidman who carries the entire film on her shoulders and who conveys furious determination to protect her household and absolute terror at the unknown forces against her with intense verve. Fionulla Flannagan and Christopher Eccleston provide some interesting foils to her dominant presence, but the real star is the film itself, who never goes for a quick cheat to fabricate its denouement (diametrically opposed to what M. Night Shyamalan's style where the twist is everything). Already a contemporary classic, it will go down in cinema history as an updated take on THE HAUNTING, with more finely tuned performances, even darker atmosphere, and a rising sense of dread. -
BermudezLievano26 November 2001Alejandro Amenábar is a very young and talented director, born in Chile and raised in Spain. He revolutionized Spanish cinema when he arrived on the scene with Thesis, at only 24 years of age. The came Abre los ojos, a very powerful second film that immediately put him aside some of the leading directors there, like Pedro Almodóvar, Carlos Saura, or Fernando Trueba. The others is only his third film and you can now see a hint of who may become one of the best around in a couple of years (he's only 29).
The best comparison I can make of this film is to a piece of clockwork. Precise, exact, nothing is gratuitous or excessive.... What a subtle charm this film works on you as a spectator. The screenplay is one of the best of this genre I have seen in the last few years, very carefully revised and misleading, yet at the end everything makes perfect sense, not the mention on the second time you watch it.
It is true that many of the film's features and details may be traced to classic films of the genre, but there is nothing wrong with that. The director himself said it was an homage to directors like Alfred Hitchcock (to whom he has been compared somewhat prematurely.... he may reach such height but he still has a long road to walk). That is one of the great things about the film; it takes the best of the genre, the best that has been made by the best directors... it's a film lover's delight.
I had never thought Nicole Kidman could have been at the height of the project, as I really have never considered her a great actress. All I can say is I am still dumbfounded by her extraordinary performance... really, a large percentage of the film's success can be related to her. Sober and discreet when needed, yet grand all the same... It does remind some of the most elegant names of classic Hollywood cinema like the Bette Davis of All about Eve or the Katharine Hepburn of The African queen. But it would be really selfish to give her all the credit when she was supported by an extraordinary cast. Fionnula Flanagan (the sweet old lady from Waking Ned Devine) is trully magnificent as the governess, Mrs. Mills, and very surprising performances of a mute and an old gardener are given by Elaine Cassidy and Eric Sykes. The children (Alakina Mann and James Bentley) are also fantastic.
Finally, I cannot but mention the crew of the film. It is even a more fantastic job when you consider that the film (many people don't realize this) is chiefly a Spanish production. The production design by Benjamín Fernández and specially the cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe are extraordinary. Just as in the best painting of figures like Goya or Rembrandt, light and shadow reveal the objects and the people.
I do not hesitate to say that this is really one of the best films of the year 2001. I am still waiting to watch Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, La stanza del figlio, The shipping news, The hours and Italiensk for begyndere, but I know it will remain amongst those at the top. A 10/10 is really fair for a film that has it all, a perfect machinery that arrives at a time when we seriously need intelligent films and not blockbuster deceptions. I can only say I hope its director won't jump to Hollywood in search of big-time projects that waste his potential.
It is a film to feast on.. to savour, to enjoy, to remember.... -
jhhogan15 July 2017No spoilers. Just one of the better made movies of the early 2000s. I just watched it again after 16 years and it has only gotten better - an excellent sign. The children, especially Anne, steal the performance.Highley recommend. They don't make them like this anymore.. . .
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aleksanderk-953504 April 2021Good suspenseful film with lots of great twists. Some parts of the film do drag on and could speed it up. It's worth it though for amazing twist at the end. Nicole Kidman does a great job leading this film. Very well acted scenes from Kidman in this film.
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ankitbbd12 February 2016Story-A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.
The others is surely one of the best suspense movie ever made.Story is the uniqueness and hero of the movie.
Full marks to Alejandro Amenábar for writing and directing such a wonderful movie and that too without any action scene.
Nicole Kidman played role of a mother who loves her children and is perfect in her role.This may be her best movie.Both children were also good.Rest of the actors also provided the exact efforts that was required by them.
Movie may seem little slow in the starting but suspense movie needs to build characters and story otherwise audience may not digest the conclusion of the movie.
Just watch this movie as a regular drama horror movie and by the time this movie is finished , you will be a fan of this movie.
Overall this movie can be watched again and again and is a must watch(especially for suspense thriller lovers).
I give this movie 10/10 -
Vartiainen19 January 2017World War II has just ended and a young woman with two children is waiting on an island in the British Channel for her husband to return home. Her housekeepers have mysteriously vanished without any hints and thus she's forced to hire new staff, three solemn locals who claim a past with the manor they're living in. And then the strange sounds start plaguing the family.
The Others works as a horror film because it allows the atmosphere to build. There are very few jump scares, almost none at all, and most of the horror is build on the fact that the mother is slowly losing her mind and is forced to doubt her every decision. The situation itself is strange enough with a lone manor, two children being forced to live indoors for fear of the light and three closemouthed locals, but then the facts start revealing themselves and it ended up being quite different from what I'd imagined. But in the best way possible. It's a well-spun tale all around.
Two special mentions for extra greatness. First to Nicole Kidman, whose acting abilities are still very much on top. Hers is the carrying performance of this entire film and she sells it flawlessly. From a stern although caring mother to a determined mistress of a manor to a scared soul trembling in the face of the unknown. The second mention goes to the soundtrack, which is a perfect blend of classical haunting and British pastoral music reminiscent of the good old days of the Empire. Definitely a soundtrack I would listen just because. And I in fact have.
The Others is a very good horror film. One of the best I've seen in years and definitely a film worth checking out if you're looking for something a bit more psychological and mood-dependent. -
claudio_carvalho8 January 2012In 1945, in Jersey, Channel Islands, the widow Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) lives in a lonely old house with her daughter Anne (Alakina Mann) and her son Nicholas (James Bentley). Grace lost her beloved husband Charles (Christopher Eccleston) in the World War II and their children are photosensitive and Grace keeps the curtains and the doors closed to protect Anne and Nicholas against the sunlight. Grace raises her children with strict discipline and following religious principles.
Grace hires the strange housekeeper Mrs. Bertha Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), the mute maid Lydia (Elaine Cassidy) and the gardener Mr. Edmund Tuttle (Eric Sykes) that have asked for a job. Out of the blue, mysterious things happen in the mansion and Anne claims that there is a boy named Viktor that visits them. Grace unsuccessfully seeks out the intruders until the day she has a revelation about the house and its intruders.
"The Others" is one of the best and the most original ghost stories of haunted house ever made (the best is actually "Haunted"). Nobody can guess the final plot point that has one of the best twists of the cinema history. I saw "The Others" for the first time on 28 June 2002 and today, almost ten years later, I have enjoyed almost the same way I did in 2002.
This is the third film made by the excellent Alejandro Amenábar, who is the director, writer and composer. The plot is very well disclosed and the entire cast has magnificent performances. Nicole Kidman is very beautiful before her plastic surgery of the nose and has a top-notch performance. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Os Outros" ("The Others") -
henry8-316 April 2020A woman and her 2 children (husband at war) move to a large dark house, supported by 3 servants. It soon becomes apparent that they are not alone.
Very much a slow burner that could have been agonisingly slow if it wasn't for a tour de force and utterly compelling performance by Kidman. Everything is extremely creepy rather than scary with the entire supporting cast all playing their part in keeping it that way.
So not for those who prefer their scares jumpy but producing enough judders to ensure it is up there with the best of ghost stories. -
LtCol_Kilgore26 September 2001The others ***/****
"The Others" is a suspenseful horror film unlike many these days. Most are concerned with blood and gore, teenage girls getting naked, body count, and not scary. "The Others" is atmospheric, spooky, bloodless, and carried by strong acting and fleshed out characters. Yet, it takes too long to make an impact and the final payoff is not as shocking as it should be.
The plot is simple and not especially innovative (your average ghost story), but it seems fresh thanks to strong acting and a well-crafted, eerie atmosphere that rivals that of a Tim Burton film. Nicole Kidman is Grace, a beautiful young married mother who must raise her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley) alone in their gigantic (actually, ridiculously large) mansion on a British isle, around the end of WWII. They are alone, for the husband and father has been at war and has not returned, and their housekeepers mysteriously vanished. Suddenly, a trio of friendly caretakers arrive one day. Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan) is the amiable old lady, Lydia (Elaine Cassidy) is a mute young girl, and Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) is the not-so-social gardener. However, there is a strange, arcane facet to the trio; they have little background and had no way of knowing that Grace was offering positions at her manor. Aside from this, Grace must deal with her children, who have a deadly allergy to light, which means that the house must be dark all the time, allowing for a spooky dark, shadowy ambience. Anna and Nicholas, most importantly, have been visited - by a family of ghosts. Noises - crying, piano music, and running - have been heard. And curtains that stop light from entering the house are opening and closing by themselves. The film is based around Grace's efforts to solve the enigma.
I love the atmosphere of "The Others," set in a nostalgic and ominous 1940's estate. Snowy mist blankets the grass and crisp fall leaves. Murky waters of a lake border the chateau. Elegant furniture, polished marble and wood floors, neatly-woven blankets, tautly fabricated furnishings of wood and olive green cloth, coal black German sedans, lightly wrinkled sweaters and jackets are all seemingly authentic from the era. One spectacular and tense scene has Grace haplessly stumbling through an impenetrably thick ocean of milky fog that weaves through overhanging trees and a ground of crunchy bronze and russet leaves.
The action takes a while to get started up, which is a major negative. This is due to the director, Amenabar, spending time to develop an involving plot, 3-D characters, and the aforementioned décor. While Amenabar succeeds in those respects, we find ourselves wishing something would happen. Many people will easily become bored, feel tempted to sleep or leave, etc., but I, while not exactly enthralled by that point in the film, was still enjoying it.
When we finally are treated to doses of suspense and chills (not so much horror and terror), it is satisfying. You most likely will find yourself on the edge of your seat or huddled in a ball anxiously awaiting the potentially fatal results of Grace's investigation. This is not so much because you care about her character, but really because you expect a sudden scream and heart-stopping outburst of maniacal ghosts. Most scenes are chilling, including the door shutting in the piano room, the old lady in the white dress, and the final chaotic conclusion. However, I can not say that I was truly horrified and paranoid from this film, unlike "The Sixth Sense," where I was freaked out for months. I was still very entertained.
I must commend all the actors in the film, especially Nicole Kidman. The acting was down to earth and realistic, despite Nicole Kidman forced into saying some foolish lines ("Something.. Diabolical!). The two child actors, Mann and Bentley, were excellent in a fairly difficult role for children.
Another important downside to the film was the "shocking" conclusion. While I must admit that I found it brilliant, it lacked the powerful punch I wish it had. I don't know why this is, it just isn't. I am disappointed at how much potential the ending could have packed and how little it did.
Overall, I found "The Others" a highly entertaining thriller with magnetic milieus and plenty of startles. -
The previews had turned me off. Looked like another run-of-the-mill ghost story, complete with bad special effects, to me. But I was in the mood for ghost stories one day and could find nothing else I hadn't seen, so I broke down and rented this one.
And I'm glad I did. While I don't share quite the exclamation-point-profuse enthusiasm some reviewers have for it, I was very impressed. (***Don't read any further if you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want to spoil the surprise.***) I had no idea throughout who was good, who was crazy, whether or not there was anything supernatural going on, whether or not the kids were really sick, or how it would end. I, fortunately, hadn't read the other reviews here of it before watching the movie, so hadn't made the obvious comparison to the surprise ending of another ghost story that came out at the same time, ahem ahem...but I didn't mind it. It was different enough, in my opinion, to still be likable, and it had come as quite a surprise to me. And really, excellent as the other movie was, it was NOT the first ever to use such a concept. It was even used in "Beetlejuice," remember? Though in that one it happened at the beginning, not the end.
Anyway, "The Others" is a pleasant surprise of a ghost story. -
crisrabb18 July 2002This movie wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be. It did all the things I don't like a movie to do. The first 30 minutes were full of false scares and unfulfilled suspense. In the middle, there was a VERY long patch where not much of anything was going on. Finally, an eight year old could have predicted the "big exciting TWIST" at the end.
One good point: The creators didn't use a lot of gore to make up for the lack of imagination. I've always believed that what you don't see can be far scarier than what you do see (example, Blair Witch).
Sorry to say I cannot recommend this one.