The Others (2001)
Grace is a religious 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.
Details
Budget
$17,000,000
Rating
8/10 (6636 votes)
Status
Released
Production Companies
Dimension Films, Cruise/Wagner Productions, Sogecine, Las Producciones del Escorpion
About The Others
Set in the Channel Islands immediately after World War II, "The Others" follows Grace, a devout woman raising her two photosensitive children in an isolated mansion. Their lives are defined by a strict regimen of darkness, as exposure to light poses a severe threat to the children's health. The arrival of new servants coincides with increasingly unsettling occurrences, leading Grace to believe her home is haunted.
The film navigates a blend of horror, mystery, and thriller elements. Its atmosphere relies on tension and psychological suspense rather than overt scares. The narrative explores themes of belief, isolation, and the perception of reality, as Grace struggles to distinguish between the natural and the supernatural. The setting of a sprawling, dimly lit mansion further amplifies the sense of dread and confinement, a key aspect of its overall mood.
"The Others" is noted for its ability to maintain a consistent tone throughout its runtime, building towards a conclusion that recontextualizes much of what precedes it. This approach contributed to its critical reception and its classification as a supernatural thriller.
Why you might be searching for The Others
People often search for "The Others" remembering its setting in an old, dark house where children are sensitive to light. The film's twist ending, the atmosphere of a haunted mansion, and the specific details like the 1940s timeframe and the Channel Islands location are also strong recall points. The presence of a mysterious staff and the mother's struggle to understand strange events frequently come up in search queries.
What reviewers are saying
One reviewer describes the film as a haunted house story set on a Channel Island post-WWII, where unexplained events lead to the conviction that the house is haunted.
Read the full reviewA review notes the movie's intentional sterile and pale visual style, which helps establish a ghostly ambiance, further enhanced by the perpetually foggy grounds.
Read the full reviewA critic highlights Nicole Kidman's portrayal of Grace, who lives in a darkened Jersey mansion with her light-sensitive children and questions what is real as strange occurrences escalate.
Read the full reviewAnother reviewer points out that the film creates increasing paranoia for Grace as she struggles to understand multiplying strange events, especially when her husband returns from the war seemingly distant.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
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You can stream "The Others" on Netflix and Prime Video.
"The Others" is not based on a true story. It is a psychological and Gothic horror film written, directed, and scored by Alejandro Amenábar, though William Skidelsky of *The Observer* suggested it was inspired by Henry James's 1898 novella *The Turn of the Screw*.
In the climax of "The Others," Grace discovers that she, her children, and the servants are actually ghosts haunting the house. She learns this during a séance where a medium communicates that Grace, distraught after her husband's death in WWII, smothered her children and then shot herself, meaning they are the true 'others' and the living family who moves into the house are the intruders.
"The Others" is widely considered worth watching, with many critics praising its atmosphere, performances, and plot twist. It was a critical and commercial success, earning an 84% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and winning multiple awards, including Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards.