The Others (2001)
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Grace is a woman who lives in an old house kept dark because her two children, Anne and Nicholas, have a rare sensitivity to light. When the family begins to suspect the house is haunted, Grace fights to protect her children at any cost in the face of strange events and disturbing visions.
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19 films that influenced The Others
What critics say influenced The Others
It most closely resembles the Henry James story "Turn of the Screw," as that one was filmed by Jack Clayton and was called "The Innocents."
Let's just say that what we have here is a delicious little ghost story that takes place within the confines of a single haunted house and recalls such minimalist classics of the genre as "The Innocents" and the original version of "The Haunting."
Perhaps the most obvious inspirations for "The Others" are Robert Wise's 1963 "The Haunting," still the greatest of all haunted-house films despite the inept 1999 remake, and "The Innocents," Jack Clayton's outstanding 1961 screen adaptation of "Turn of the Screw."
At its best, Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" is reminiscent of "The Innocents," Jack Clayton's marvelously creepy 1960 version of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw."
Alejandro Amenabar ("Open Your Eyes") has taken a page from "The Innocents" and created a spooky, psychological, gothic ghost story of a time gone by.
In the tradition of the most eerie vintage gothic ghost stories (think The Innocents, or The Uninvited), The Others sets the stage for chills with an isolated mansion, long dark hallways, flickering candles, and things that go bump in the night.
The atmosphere and Gothic aesthetic feels like classic supernatural horror in the vein of Robert Wise’s “The Haunting,” with reliance on old school horror devices and unique elements of mystery and ambiguity rather than full CGI.
This fact may have been lost on effects-happy Hollywood (Exhibit A: Jan DeBont's high-tech--and thoroughly unscary--remake of Robert Wise's understated classic, The Haunting ), but thankfully it hasn't been lost on Spanish writer-director Alejandro Amen´bar, whose English-language debut The Others packs a formidable fright simply through the time-tested special effect of atmosphere.
Several additional films, like "The Others," have raised a few goose pimples of their own, but nothing quite to compare to the low-key chills of "The Haunting."
But in reality, this film has a lot more in common with such classic haunted-house tales as 1944's "The Uninvited" and the original 1963 version of "The Haunting."
I'm tempted to call The Others the best haunted house film since Robert Wise's 1963 masterstroke The Haunting.
With its spooky house, strange noises, and foggy scenes, The Others reminded me of The Uninvited, one of my favorite films of the forties starring Ray Milland and Gail Russell.
But in reality, this film has a lot more in common with such classic haunted-house tales as 1944's "The Uninvited" and the original 1963 version of "The Haunting."
I was optimistic that a new wave of well-made haunted house and ghost story films would sweep through cinemas, horror films would once more win Oscars, and maybe even Dario Argento might get the money and inspiration to make something like Suspiria again.
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At its best, Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" is reminiscent of "The Innocents," Jack Clayton's marvelously creepy 1960 version of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw."
Derivative though masterfully shot, the movie echoes Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, though if Kidman's character weren't so sympathetic, you could call this The Turn of the Shrew.
It is complex and literate, as psychologically unnerving as Henry James’ novel The Turn of the Screw.
Here he has fashioned a tonal and stylistic tribute to the eerie kid- fright of "The Spirit of the Beehive," "The Sixth Sense" and to Hitchcock.
The Sixth Sense casts a long shadow over movies like this, and sometimes The Others can't resist borrowing a few twists and turns from that earlier film.
Were it not for the huge and surprising success of 1999's "The Sixth Sense", this horror-thriller would not have been conceived, written nor green-lighted.
Like The Sixth Sense, The Others relies more on atmosphere than standard horror "beats."
Make the story scarier and more unnerving than The Sixth Sense — but do it without any gory or gross imagery; almost without special effects.
By taking healthy doses of "The Shining", "The Sixth Sense" and Alfred Hitchcock and mixing thoroughly, Mr. Amenábar creates a haunted house that is at once familiar and unique.
Here he has fashioned a tonal and stylistic tribute to the eerie kid- fright of "The Spirit of the Beehive," "The Sixth Sense" and to Hitchcock.
Film buffs should look out for the knowing nods to "Rebecca" and "The Shining".
By taking healthy doses of "The Shining", "The Sixth Sense" and Alfred Hitchcock and mixing thoroughly, Mr. Amenábar creates a haunted house that is at once familiar and unique.
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Perhaps the most obvious inspirations for "The Others" are Robert Wise's 1963 "The Haunting," still the greatest of all haunted-house films despite the inept 1999 remake, and "The Innocents," Jack Clayton's outstanding 1961 screen adaptation of "Turn of the Screw."
Forget The Others and The Deep End (which veered toward strained dramatics), The Night of the Hunter is by far the scariest movie I’ve seen so far this year.