The Others (2001) (English Language)

Review

104min

Genre:    Horror, Mystery, Drama

Director: Alejandro Amenábar

Cast:      Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Alakina Mann …and more

Writer:   Alejandro Amenábar

Eerie period mystery/horror set at the end of World War II in the British Channel Islands starring Nicole Kidman as a mother of two children with a rare condition that makes them allergic to sunlight, when three new servants come to work at their isolated manor house, things take a sinister turn as the bizarre circumstances under which they live start to change.

In his first English Language film, writer/director Alejandro Amenábar clearly takes inspiration from classic British horrors like ‘The Innocents’ in crafting a film which is essentially a period mystery with a supernatural heart of horror.

Harking back to an age of psychologically suspenseful horror and yet refreshing in the modern age of graphic orgies of violence and heavy CGI, ‘The Others’ features not a drop of blood or ghoulish manifestation of evil and yet manages to be creepy and suspenseful with a sense of foreboding throughout.

The stylish cinematography and lighting combines with the strong acting performances to establish an unsettling atmosphere that builds slowly throughout the film, this might not be one for people looking non-stop screams & thrills but is nevertheless an original and welcome addition to the “haunted house” sub-genre.

With supernatural and religious themes threaded throughout and an interesting study on our very concept of death, ‘The Others’ manages something of a dark family drama in between the atmosphere and suspense.

The Bottom Line…

Creepy, suspenseful and refreshing for a 21st century horror, ‘The Others’ is just as much a period mystery and features a monumental twist that changes the context of the entire film and makes it one of the more under-appreciated modern additions to the genre.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

‘The Innocents’ (1961)

Classic British psychological period horror starring Deborah Kerr as a young governess for two children whose strange experiences convince her that their house and grounds are haunted in this atmospheric Gothic haunted-house picture.

Directed by Jack Clayton and starring Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde and Michael Redgrave among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.