Interesting thriller - The Others (2001)

Whilst I was on vacation it struck me to see The Others on the television. As far as I can remember, I was sure this was the first horror I had ever watched, and I thought it was terrifying! This is a really interesting, awesome film guys that definitely deserves a review. You may not necessarily find it classified as a 'horror' similarly to Child's Play, however it is another fantastic film that absolutely nails the eerie silenced atmosphere to establish great tension and even some jump scares.

The Others runs for a fair 104 minutes, and is directed by Alejandro Amenábar. According to IMDB, it says that it is categorised as a horror/mystery/drama, so I reckon you could describe it as any of those, since it is mysterious who the young children are speaking to, and there is a fair amount of drama in it. 

Anyway, the film is based on a widow named Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman), who lives in an isolated house accompanied by her kids, Anne (Alakina Mann), and Nicholas (James Bentley). Grace unfortunately lost her son during WWII, and her poor kids are photosensitive, so Grace keeps all the curtains in the house shut to protect them against any sunlight. The children have a high belief of religion due to their completely religious mother, who also keeps them behaved under strict control. Soon enough, Grace hires a weird housekeeper named Mrs. Bertha Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), followed by the maid Lydia (Elaine Cassidy), and a gardener named Mr. Edmond Tuttle (Eric Skyes). Suddenly, strange events occur in the mansion, and Anne claims there is a boy/ghost named Viktor who is visiting them in the mansion. Grace does not believe 'such nonsense', until she has the revelation that there are actually intruders in the house attempting to communicate with them.

I must say I really loved Nicole Kidman as an actress in this film. I feel she reflected her fear and frustration perfectly throughout the entire film, and from this I will always remember how amazing an actress she is. A lot of people claim that this movie is too similar to the sixth sense. I agree that they are based on the same type of subject, but this has a more religious perspective to it and makes us think a lot more. I also thought the plot was fantastic. I couldn't really go into detail with it because I would probably ruin it, and it is fairly surprising. Also, as events unfold, it becomes more tense, and the suspense grows to such a high extent whilst we await what is coming next.

The Others done very well in terms of its era. In the time it was made, horror fans could merely be impressed by films displaying blood and guts, and innocent victims being torn apart. This film was completely different. There was no bloody violence at all, and no helpless victims being brutally murdered by any masked serial killer. It is a very intelligent film, and is very successful in eerie scenes and developing atmosphere. I have always loved ghost stories and films containing spirits and/or ghosts, and I will always remember this film for that. Absolutely remarkable. 

A lot of people complained about the ending being a let down or an anti-climax. I can see how it may be an anti-climax, but it was certainly not a let down. It was a mere shock/surprise in the end which, in my opinion, perfectly concluded the film and made the audience think. I believe that the cinematography was fantastic also, as the lighting and camera angles were set up exquisitely well.

Overall, The Others is a fantastic thriller which is largely considered as a 'drama', although it certainly has it's spooky moments, but there is a clear dramatic aspect to it which comes bursting through. It is a beautiful movie, and perhaps due to it's beauty it may not be considered as a horror to you, but it is really damn spooky at some points!