Others, The (2001) | Review #2

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Eric Sykes, Elaine Cassidy
Director: Alejandro Amenabar

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Dimension Films

Reviews Posted: 8.17.01

Spoilers: Minor

Review #1

By Greg Malmborg

Rating: 3.5/4

Great horror movies seem as hard to find lately as a movie geared to adults in the local multiplex. The last few years have been overloaded with extremely generic, dull and unoriginal horror films, and I use the term ‘horror’ very lightly. I can hardly remember the last time I was frightened at a horror film or even winced once in fear (although I have winced at the utter pain of watching some of that garbage, like the recent failure Valentine). I’ve almost lost all hope that Hollywood would ever churn out good horror movies again. That was until I saw The Others.

The Others is a throwback to those older (and wiser) horror films that would build a foundation of terror and dread slowly and thoughtfully, and then scare the audience out of their skin in the finale. Rosemary’s Baby and The Shining come to mind. The Others successfully builds an overall sense of terror and madness slowly and methodically through the first hour or so, using real fear and emotion to elicit screams rather than a man in a mask popping in and out of closets all night. The final half an hour is a nail-biting fright-fest with great twists and some genuinely scream-out-loud moments. The finale is so satisfying and surprising it left me wanting to see it again.

The film does start off a bit too slowly and, at times, feels almost sluggish (especially by today’s standards). But once the story begins to unfold piece by horrific piece, the film begins to gain strength and energy, and continues to build upon it.

The story is set in an old, spooky house located on the Channel Islands off the coast of France in 1945. The house and its isolated surroundings are as perfect a location for horror and psychological terror as the Overlook Hotel is in The Shining.

Nicole Kidman plays Grace, the distraught mother of two small children who have a rare disease, which makes them allergic to all natural light. In order for the children to be safe, all daylight must be covered up and candles only light the house. This is an ingenious plot device, almost instantly the house becomes even more chilling and menacing than it already looks by being dimly lit throughout. Grace’s husband is at the war and her servants have suddenly vanished on her. Once a group of new servants come knocking on her doorstep and take over the housework, strange and eerie occurrences begin to happen to both Grace and her children. Her daughter Anne has befriended a child ghost, but neither her mother nor brother will believe it. Grace slowly journeys down the road of madness because of what is happening in the house and to her children.

The story wonderfully makes the audience sympathize with Grace and, at the same time, doubt her sanity. The events to follow are thrilling and frightening, and I would not want to ruin the fun or the surprise, so that is all I will say about the story.

Nicole Kidman is phenomenal as Grace. She lets us into Grace’s mind, as we follow her decent into anxiety and madness. This is one of her best performances, and, in my opinion, the best female lead performance of the year so far. James Bentley and Alakina Mann are also excellent as her two weary children. Alejandro Amenabar proves to be an effective and passionate director.

The Others is an engaging, original, and, best of all, downright frightening ghost story. If you’ve been waiting, as I have, for a great horror film to see, look no further than The Others. You will not be disappointed.

Review #2

By Craig Younkin

Rating: 4/4

"The Others" was written and directed by Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, who lucked out when he got Tom Cruise to produce this first English speaking picture. Amenabar's first picture was a foreign film called "Open Your Eyes", which "coincidentally" is being re-made as a film called "Vanilla Sky," starring Tom Cruise. Ironically enough, while he got ex-wife Nicole Kidman to star in "The Others", he was falling in love with "Sky" co-star Penelope Cruz. Hollywood is screwy!

Luckily "The Others" isn't. Nicole Kidman is so far winning the summer. First with what I believe is the best film of the year, "Moulin Rouge," and now this non stop thriller that is very close up there, Kidman is proving herself to be quite an actress. She stars here as Grace, a mother of two children, Anne (Alakina Mann), Nicholas (James Bentley), who moves them to an abandoned mansion off the English coast of Jersey because they have an odd illness to sunlight. The house is to remain dark at all times, with the only thing lighting the way being candlelight. She feels very lonely in the house. She does not think her husband (Christopher Eccleston) will be returning from World War 2 and her only neighbor is a thick fog on all sides of the house. Her servants have also packed up and moved out days ago.

Soon new servants, Miss Mills (Fionnula Hannagan), Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) and Lydia (Elaine Cassidy), arrive at her door. After laying down the strict rules (no door is to be opened before another is locked, the shutters are too be drawn at all times), Grace hires them. Then Grace, who excuses every spiritual thing, except God, Heaven, Hell, as silliness, begins to hear strange sounds coming from up stairs. Anne even tells her that she has had conversations with a ghost named Victor, only she refuses to believe it and accuses Miss Mills (who has been a servant in the house before) of scaring the children so that she and her sidekicks can have the house back. That, of course, is not the case. 

"The Others" is absolutely exceptional horror film work. It renews my faith that Hollywood can still scare an audience out of their wits. Alejandro Amenabar places the action around wonderfully spooky atmosphere and characters, and builds tension with a quiet and slow moving tempo that leaves you sensitive to the slew of unexpected shocks, while keeping you on the edge of your seat the rest of the time. Adding a little flare to the shocks, he sometimes does a few quick edits, grabs us at the beginning with a yelp, and uses music, conducted by him as well, to heighten the tension and the "jump out of your seat" factor. But not only is "The Others" consistently terrifying, the film also brings up fascinating questions and scenes about life and death, heaven and hell. It doesn't give the best answer when the film's conclusion does come, but the film makes you think as it goes along.

This is also one hell of a haunting cast. You can almost see their breath as they deliver the lines and all of them seem to have an edgy quality that makes them all extremely compelling. Kidman is perfect as this loving but also stern woman. Fionnula Flannagan, in the best supporting performance of the year so far, is kindly but also very mysterious. And James Bentley and Alakina Mann match Haley Joel Osment and even transcend him on certain occasions.

"The Others" runs into a hole when it uses a plot twist from another supernatural thriller, but the rest of it is too solidly scary and the anticipation is built so well that we want to accept it here way more than in the other film. Great scary movies don't come around this often, leave the tedious teen slasher flicks alone. I don't even have to mention "Blair Witch 2."

"The Others" is an exception to the rule that all horror has to be brain dead, as it forces us out of our seat and keeps us glued to the screen every step of the way.

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