Hollywood Rewind | The Others: A Different Kind of Horror Experience with a Classic, Fit Nicole Kidman

Horror in the early 2000s, and before that, was mostly limited to jump alerts, and very predictable ones. However, things started to change over time and with artists willing to experiment. 2001 director Alejandro Amenbar, The Others, certainly belonged to the latter group. The others, starring versatile Nicole Kidman, were scary, if not intense for a horror movie, and had a solid storyline to back it up. Shout out to the filmmaker who also wrote the script for the period horror drama.

In fact, The Others is a psychological horror thriller that plays devious games with your mind, with what you can’t see on screen. And as the famous saying goes, “A known devil is better than a stranger”. What you can’t see on screen you tend to think more, which in a delicious twist is fine for viewers of The Others as well as the characters in the film.

The main plot of The Others works this way – there is a young woman with two children, who moved to the West Coast in the 1940s. Her children are photosensitive and therefore have to be very careful of any kind of light entering. This is one of the main reasons why almost all of the film is wrapped in black. And the darkness, of course, helps bring out elements of the genre in a much more satisfying way. However, things change when the two youngsters start to see things. At first, Nicole Kidman’s character Grace is unconvinced and thinks the household helpers are up to the task. But once she begins to experience otherworldly things on her own, Grace becomes more concerned with the well-being of those close to her. The rest of the story follows from there.

Even though it’s been light years since the film’s release, I’ll spare you the spoilers, as the twist is very satisfying and many might not tie in until the big reveal. So well packaged and done so well, and that goes for almost every department – camera, lighting, acting, writing, directing, sound design – nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And a special mention for the photography of Javier Aguirresarobe, who shot this film superbly. Rarely did a horror film resemble other people’s.

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When it comes to acting, child actors Alakina Mann and James Bentley were perfect. But the film rested heavily on Nicole’s strong shoulders, and she showed why she’s been so bankable the whole time. Nicole generally has a certain sense of grace, and it has done wonders for her character in a horror space, where everything is usually so chaotic and seedy. Nicole stood out. Because she was the only one to hide her horror behind her passivity and perfect control. I remember reading reviews after watching The Others and someone calling it ‘unbelievably good’. A strange compliment in itself, but perfectly suited to what the actor is doing in this film.

You can watch The Others on Netflix.