by Conan Simmons – August 17, 2020 – 11:23 pm
Atmosphere engulfs this mystery horror starring Nicole Kidman.
Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar and filmed in Spain the movie takes place on the English island of Jersey during the closing days of WWII. Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a stern religious mother of two photosensitive children who are at risk of developing severe rashes if exposed to too much light. The eldest child likes to tease the younger about there being ghosts in the house with an emphasis on a boy named Victor. When a trio of housekeepers are hired to keep the estate in order loud noises begin annoying Grace. Is it her children acting up or is someone trying to gaslight her, perhaps the mute cleaning woman she hired?
The heavy fog that surrounds the old dark house sets the mood perfectly for this enjoyable mystery. The atmosphere that is enhanced by the cinematography is what really sends this movie near the top of the ghost subgenre. Classic ghost movies provide a strong influence most notably the 1944 film ‘The Uninvited’ with a good dose of 1963’s ‘The Haunting’.
Sound plays a major part in conveying the impending horror on the family. The noises from other rooms and dark corners drives the mystery of the plot forward keeping Grace, and the audience, in doubt of whether someone is playing a prank or if ghosts really exist.
NIcole Kidman was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film which came out just days before September 11, 2001. At the time it was the highest grossing film from Spain even winning the Goya Award for Best Film, the first English language film to do so.
‘The Others’ fits firmly in with the genre of English mystery as much as it does with horror films like ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘The Conjuring’. From its quiet beginning to the buildup of horror ‘The Others’ is one of the best old dark house mysteries in decades.