Chris Stuckmann reviews The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Fionnula Flanagan, Alakina Mann, James Bentley, Eric Sykes. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar.
After rewatching this film, I was amazed that there are no bad characters and all have good intentions. I can't recall any other horror movies that have done this.
@@abdulmatinhamid6491 She did but considering the likely death of her husband (maybe all wealth went with him), likely occupation by an evil force along with the fleeing of all the staff, children who can't survive outside the house, etc. I see it as a desperate move by a grieving mother who loves her children and doesn't want them to suffer. She was a very religious woman so I don't think she made the decision impulsively. I personally don't see her as a bad person.
Yesssss! I saw this movie in theaters when it first released and I’ve never been more scared in a movie theater. The twist was both shocking and fantastic. Many years later I dressed as the daughter with the old face for Holloween. Needless to say a lot of people didn’t understand my costume lol
I love the ending to this film. Not just the twist, but the fact that the twist resolves the plot entirely satisfactorily because it makes it clear that the horror comes from a misunderstanding of the situation and not from any actual threat. It is even a happy ending, especially when the children are able to go outside to play in the garden.
I watched it last night and share your (well articulated) view entirely. There's a sense of surrender and peace in the mother when she realises her real situation. We also see her stunned and wide eyed as she is confronted with her strong religious beliefs about after death and the places that you will go.
Actually the thing that impacted me the most in this movie was the Victorian pictures of dead people. I got them stuck in my head for weeks and weeks....
I thought the twist was pretty well spoiled from the marketing. When it came out the tag line was "the biggest twist ending since the 6th sense" so I got what was going on pretty much from the beginning. Good movie still but i didn't love it as much as I would've I think.
The writing is remarkable. Kidman is so rewatchable here and deserves an Oscar. This film is a master class in pacing and feels like a scary move should feel. *Chefs kiss*
Something I like about the false scare scene in "The Others" is that there's no loud musical cue for it! It's silent, save for the sounds of Nichole Kidman moving around and opening the curtain. It's so much more effective this way, and it doesn't feel like a false scare.
I’m so glad you love this movie as much as I do! It’s one of the ones I watch every year because it doesn’t hinge on the twist. The twist pulls it all together but there is so much to enjoy even when you know exactly what’s coming.
That’s so surprising to hear because even though I love this movie, I never felt the urge to watch it again. Felt to me like wether you find it spooky or not depends heavily on wether you know the twist or not. But apparently everyone’s different :)
Is it enjoyable, even after knowing the end twist? I know the ending (a stupid watchmojo video spoiled it to me) so I always avoid this movie thinking it will nit not be a good experience
also the 'twist' thing was early enough in movie history that people didn't expect the 'they were already dead' cliché. This movie was only a few years removed from The 6th Sense, and at the time there haven't yet been a lot of movies that drove that trope into the ground.
Think I saw this when I was 10. Found it reasonably spooky. Was probably one of the first horror films I watched. This is literally the first time since I've seen anyone talk about it.
D.J. The Exorcist had 10 nominations including best picture, Get Out as well as the Sixth Sense were nominated. However, I’m not sure if any horror has won Best Picture.
@@rodneymckay8860 No leading actor's been nominated for best actor/actress in a leading role. Daniel Kaluuya should've been nominated for one but was snubbed of course. Same with Toni Collette in Hereditary. Even before that Essie Davis in The Babadook. They were all robbed of at least a nomination Edit: Nevermind Kaluuya was nominated. But now that I think of it Aisling Franciosi was DEFINITELY snubbed of a nomination in The Nightingale
I think Kidman's monologue in this movie at the reveal, that she believed she had been granted a reprieve and a second chance, is very effective and moving. It speaks to her skills as an actress that she was able to sell that moment in light of what had happened.
When she asked her husband. That he didnt love them. And he starts crying. On second watch you understand why he was crying. That part got to me. What a sad movie. But a great one.
When I saw this in the theater I literally forgot I was in a theater I was so into it. It was such an enthralling movie-going experience and one that hasn’t been repeated for me since! Thanks for reviewing this often forgotten gem! It was so special to me.
"If you're a fan of horror..." Good old-fashioned creepy horror. Not mindless slasher and gore horror. A+ in my book, too! An absolute favorite of mine. Another great one is The Orphanage. After a few minutes you don't even realize you're reading subtitles, you're just sucked in.
@@kikilaker6698 Here's some ideas. The Changeling (1980) -- It's a bit choppier in its storytelling than I remember, but it's still a great ghost story that influenced many films that followed it. When a Stranger Calls (2006) -- a fun little teen friendly thriller that expands the crowd pleasing opening sequence of the original. The Sixth Sense, The Ring, The Mothman Prophecies and The Babadook are other more modern good ones. Also Lake Mungo if you can find it. Got that one thru a Chris video. A couple B&W classics: The Uninvited (1944) The Haunting (1963) Both good old fashioned ghost stories. The Haunting was redone in 1999 and is good, too. But it gets a bit cartoony and over-the-top with the CGI. It was also reimagined for the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, which is fantastic. But there are some brief sexual moments in that which could be embarrassing to watch with kids, but they are brief. Since it's a series, it's very much family drama centered, but the thrills and chills are well placed, well done and effective.
@@thecsciworker291 I didn't really like Blair Witch. Highly overrated imo. I know a lot of people like it. It started the "found footage" craze and made a ton of money on a miniscule budget. Still, it didn't do it for me.
indeed!I saw at my local cinema and I got a real good scare when she goes to the door closes, she opens it to see if theres anybody on the other side, but then the door slams shut in her face!!!
This movie has never been underrated. It was a huge success when it came out. Just because people from the US don't know about it doesn't mean it's not popular
Another thing that makes this film so special is that it's one of the last ones where she still looks like herself, not like a walking storage for botox, fillers and god knows what else.
Charles’ arc is truly heartbreaking. At first, his remark, “Sometimes I bleed” sounds confusing. Then, you understand that he is a lost spirit, “out there, looking for [his] home” after the war
And he's probably figured out that the dead can only see other dead, meaning seeing his wife and children is a huge knife to the heart. The family he went to war to protect... died while he was gone. Even worse, as I recall it's implied that they're bound to the house for eternity, so they won't even join him in the afterlife. (Fridge logic, though: What happens when the house gets demolished?)
@@Arbron Good question. The new owners, Victor and his parents, put the house up for sale. We can only imagine what the next potential residents would do with it. Perhaps the cycle will keep repeating with Grace, her children, and the servants attempting to shoo away any more “intruders”. Then again, Mrs. Mills probably will let them be, as she has come to terms with that fact. She remarks to Grace, after the shocking revelation, “The intruders are leaving, but others will come. Sometimes we will see them; other times, we won’t”
@@Arbron What I don't understand though is why does he have to leave?? He found his home and if they're all dead, they should be able to stay together. What happens if her refuses to go? And if sometimes he bleeds it makes me think he too is stuck in purgatory but must keep wandering because he also killed people. It was probably a celestial gift that they could all see each other one last time since they all suffered.
I remember that most of the scenes in the movie were inside a sound stage so they can really capture the footsteps, the doors screech closing, and even the gasps from the actors to make the atmosphere even more authentic.
Let me get this straight: You comment something that is unrelated to the fact that I have two DANGEROUSLY DASHING girlfriends? Considering that I am the unprettiest RU-vidr ever, having two hot girlfriends is really incredible. Yet you did not mention that at all. I am quite disappointed, dear trina
I personally think The Others is a much better film than The Sixth Sense and the ending wasn’t as telegraphed (you knew Bruce Willis was dead within the first 10 minutes).
Brilliant movie. Seeing the POV of the ghosts is absolute genius and fresh. No horrible CGI or special effects but is reminiscent of old fashion horror movies. You dive into the mother's mental state both while she was alive and dead. love this film
The most unsettling part is, arguably, Mrs. Mills’ matter-of-fact tone in response to Grace’s remembering that she committed murder-suicide: “Lydia said [Where are we?], when she realized the three of us were dead... Shall I make us a nice cup of tea, ma’am?”
One of my favorite subtle hints throughout the film is that throughout the breakfast/dinner scenes, you never actually see anyone eat or drink anything. I've always interpreted that they only have food around as a force of habit of being alive.
For me, it was the drawing that one of the kids did of the living family. The living mother's hairstyle is from the late 1940s. While Kidman is styled for the late 1930s.
I noticed the lack of eating too but thought it was just one of those movie things when actors don’t want to actually eat so much food take after take 😂
@@LeonardoDiCapri-Sun I think this happens but in sitcoms. In movies, if they have to eat, they eat I think. Also Alejandro Amenabar is a perfectionist, he wouldnt let them to stop eating if they had to eat I guess.
I remember watching this in the theater, and having one of the most unnerving movie going experiences in my life. It left such a powerful impact on me once the climax took place. Wonderful film.
I can watch this one over and over. Nicole Kidman’s toughened exterior throughout the movie and seeing her so vulnerable with her husband, ultimately finding out what she did .. really, really good shit.
The best thing about the twist is that not only was it hinted through out the movie, but that they know they are ghosts in a way, the children keep talking about "what happened" refusing to further discuss it or even acknowledge it as reality. Making their submission to their fate at the end this much sadder and bitter sweet.
@@astragalusson i know but sixth sense got invented the plot first so people might get bored or used to it when it came out because the twist is inspired in the sixth sense.
I saw this film twice when it was in theaters. I went to see it with my S.O. and then with my parents and cousin. There's one rather big jump scare near the end of the film. I am pretty jaded and I rarely jump in horror films but that one got me the first time. When I went to see it the second time, I got so wrapped up in the film that I forgot that the jump scare was coming up and it got me a second time. I watch this movie a lot around Halloween because there is something magical about it for me. I'm glad to see someone talk so positively about it.
I don't like horror movies but this is still one of my favorite movies of all time. It's in my top 7. I understand it's technically a horror movie but it doesn't feel like a horror movie to me. It feels more like a psychological thriller. Nothing really scarry with horror elements happens for the whole movie, except when the little girls looks like an old lady for a brief scene. Other "scary stuff" is like doors closing on their own, introducing photos of dead people, curtains going missing and the 3 maids talking suspicious and yeah there're 3 graves on the yard. Noone gets really attacked, we never see any supernatural stuff other than the scene I mentioned. It makes sense because after you know the ending, it's obvious that from the perspective of the main characters, there shouldn't be anything to be scared other than their own history and ignorance to the situation. The director really manages to use the darkness and light, the spooky stories children tell, the possibility of some entity in the house and of course the suspicious 3 maids' existence really well to create the scary atmosphere. That's why it doesn't feel like a horror to me. It always keeps you on the edge but nothing really happens. That's talent.
@Rohit Shinde 6.Burnt offerings (1976) 5.Winchester (2018) 4.We are still here (2015) 3.The legend of hell house (1973) 2.The woman in black (2012) and the best one 1.The changeling (1980)!
I watched The Others when it was still on Netflix. Definitely one of my favourites. Reminded me so much of The Changeling (1980). I love "quiet" horror movies. Subtle and scary as hell.
I saw this movie way back when in the theaters And it blew me away. The twist was insane and I never saw it coming. It’s probably one of the best ghost stories ever filmed.
I love this movie. I recall that at the same time, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes was also in release. Seeing a lot of ads on television, I noticed that after a few weeks, ads for Planet of the Apes died down and disappeared while ads for The Others continued for quite a long time! It's a movie that is so beautifully done, you can watch it again and again even knowing the story by heart.
Never heard of this film until I started watching this review a few days ago. I immediately stopped watching when Chris gave the spoiler warning. Flash forward a few days later, I just finished this film and WOW! So good!
Top ghost horror for me: Others Jacobs Ladder A Ghost Story Sixth Sense Not in that order but my absolute faves all very well written and performed IMHO.
Omg!! Yes!!! I was waiting for you to review this, I was surprised you hadn’t prior. I just watched it again on Sunday, and it remains easily one of my favorite “mystery” period pieces. Very elegant, which is what I appreciate. It needs to be talked about again, it got lost after it was released.
This movie is very well written with that spooky suspicious horror-suspense feeling. This is one of my favorite horror movies that I've seen more than 15 times already and it still scares me every time I watch it.
@Foritsa Grandolteam in my humble opinion, it’s masterful. From how it’s shot to how it’s acted. And the entire third act will have you at the edge of your seat. And when it ends you’ll be scratching your head and searching google for 2 hours to try to make sense of what you just saw.
I will definitely have to check that one out. The last foreign [Spanish, in this case] film I purchased because the cinematography, story and score were SO intense was The Ophanage. Highly recommended.
Spectacular film. Not only did the director write the musical score, but he wrote it before he shot the movie. He played the intended score on the set for the actors to help them grasp the atmosphere of the movie.
I saw both "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others" when they first came out, but I was in my 50's by then, and I appreciated how "The Others" was able to add its own twist while still loving "The Sixth Sense"... Like a special meal that was given a bit more of a seasoning that's giving it its own taste, and gives us two meals to enjoy in place of one...
I love the minimal but powerful costume design in this film. Grace's character looks appropriate enough for 1945, but after seeing the living woman around her age who is actually living in 1945, it becomes more clear that Grace is a little stuck in the past. Her modest and stern wardrobe are a bit more late 30s/early 40s, when the world was coming out the depression and entering a war. She hasn't moved on from that era, which is probably when she was last happy, when her husband was home and they had two kids. The brunette woman who is actually living, that we see at the end, is wearing a more seductive and modern dress for the post-war era, more make up, and you can see the slight change in hairstyle that happened in the '40s with her. And it just helps to make the point that Grace has been dead for a while as others are living on. I also love that she's a Hitchcockian icy mysterious blonde. It would be interesting to know exactly how long she's been dead for and when the murder/suicide occurred. The film seems to indicate at the beginning that it's only been a couple weeks (since she says that's how long she's been without housekeepers, and apparently she murdered the kids when the housekeepers took off). I wondered if maybe there was more to that story though. I wondered if the housekeepers didn't actually disappear -- but she just couldn't see them anymore after she killed herself, and if she'd actually been dead for much longer than a couple weeks. I imagine it would taken some time for the house to sell after the murder/suicide and for Victor's family to move in, so possibly.
@@mikejunior211 father Chilenian, mother Spanish. Born in Chile un 1972, his family moved to Spain in 1973. He has both nationalities. Are you trying to tell us that his movies are Chilean? Billy Wilder was born in Austria. Is "Some Like It Hot" an Austrian film?
Girlfriend I had at the time ruined the ending for me. She didn't tell me the twist, but told me I was going to LOVE the twist ending. Naturally, when you expect a twist ending, it's easy to piece together what will happen. The movie was still great, though. We broke up soon after.
The preview for the Others scared the shit out of me as a kid. To this day i still have no idea what happens when the girl says “what are you talking about, i am your daughter.” That scene in the preview scared. The. Shit. Out of me.
Finally! This movie gets some damn recognition. When I was younger I got this in the used VHS section at Blockbuster for $4.99. I was expecting a ton of jump scares, but it really has some subtly to it that is just so well done in terms of creating tension. Watching Nicole Kidman's character begin her descent into madness is some great acting. I guess I say that because it simply didn't feel like acting. It felt real. And the kids did such a terrific job as well. I just love how this movie paced itself and didn't go for cheap scares. Everything was done *juuuust* right and I've yet to see another haunted house movie that gave me the same feelings as this movie.
Alejandro Amenábar is genuinely underrated as a director for The Others, Agora and Regression (the latter Chris has given praise before). He deserves more credit
This is one of my favorite horror movies ever made. Beautiful, dreamy and creepy cinematography. Gothic romance galore. Kidman's performance is excellent. Wonderful haunted house film. I recommend it all the time.
I used to watch this movie as a kid and I never considered it to be horror, it was just so well-written that I loved every second of it. I haven't watched it in a while but this definitely makes me want to.
Rewatch it. It will be a whole differnt movie. The way Nicole acts and the servants reaction to her! The husband part, Is just amazing. this movie is two films in one!
The scene where she finds the picture of the dead servants gave me goosebumps! I was looking at the first Victorian photographs on Pinterest and ran in to the propped up dead. It was a real thing so that made that reveal even more freaky to me.
On point as always, my good sir. I am very much enjoying these Halloween specials, and I thank you SO very much for producing the content you do! Like a lot of people who have been derailed during “these trying times,” I had, until recently, neglected my creative side; I am and have been working on a spec screenplay based on a novella I wrote in my early college years. I have always been able to get my juices going on the page, yet I have wanted SOOO badly to just take a shot at the specific goal of potentially taking (in my humble, amateur level experience) an attempt at writing for the screen. Your content has actually served as the impetus for my return to actively indulging my creation(s), spurring within me something I had lost till very recently: purpose. I just wanted to let you know that your content, your takes, your energy, enthusiasm and charisma has inspired me to get back to nurturing that side of myself, and I couldn’t be more appreciative of your work. Thank you, Chris. Thank you so very much.
This was a great movie. Years later, portions of it still remind me that anything is possible. Watching Bly Manor on Netflix this week reminded me to watch this classic again.
I interpreted to mean she thought he was mentally unstable or shellshocked from the war and that's why he couldn't get home. Which makes sense given that he lays in bed all day.
I saw this in theaters way back when and always loved how this story fully shows us that what we don't understand most of the time scares us...doesn't matter what side of existence we might be on. And this film is great to rewatch once you know the full story because you can see some of the wonderful ways the story unfolds.
As a Spanish person, I love this review. Amenábar is an amazing director and I believe he deserves even more recognition than he already has. The way u pronounce his name...lovely hahaha
I was a teenager when this movie came out and saw it several times in the theater just because I loved the action and the twist and so on. It feels great to look back on it now as an adult with a lot more knowledge of film and see that it really is an amazing movie, and that I can now appreciate it beyond the superficial instead of being disappointed to find out I only liked it because I was too young to know better. What a masterpiece.
Thank you for giving The Others the recognition it deserves! I've always thought literal darkness was used more creatively and effectively in this movie than any other - it's all around masterful. Love your work, Chris!
I recall seeing this movie on TV once, the twist at the end blew me away! Thanks for the review Chris, I never remembered the name of the movie, but you've helped me find it!
Your review made me remember this forgotten gem and yesterday I showed it to my wife, who does not like spooky/horror at all and she loved it! Thank you Chris for inspiring us to have a great time and connect over a genre that we otherwise feel so differently about!
I've been watching your reviews all morning, kind of woke up to it. I've been watching your channel for quite some time now and never realized how long you've been doing it and the progression of your craft. Just like to say you're very good at what you do and definitely meant to do it. I love your passion and enthusiasm for movies.
This is in my top 2 horror flicks. Never knew horror could be so creepy and classy at the same time and it’s the best updated version/adaptation/interpretation of The Turn of the Screw bought to screen.
This film is such a piece of art. Alejandro Amenabár is a genius. Not only did he write the script. He also made the music for this film. And the cast is amazing. To me, this is not a horror film. Though it is scary (to some extent) it's also spiritual and captivating. Truly one of a kind. And quite underrated. Can't believe it's been almost twenty years since it came out.
This is one of the most deliciously creepy, atmospheric movies ever made along with the 1963 film The Haunting. So glad to discover you love this movie as much as I do.
Great Review Chris, as always! I surely will check out this movie! Thanks for Recommendation. I just wonder if you ever see One flew over cuckoo's nest? It's movie from director Miloš Forma who is from Czech Republic, my country! I would love to see your Review on this movie, but i understand you are busy man! Thanks for your videos!
I watched this in the theaters and the end completely got me. Like, "Wait, what? No...NO WAY!" And that creeping tendril of realization just made its way through what felt like all of my veins. I felt like an idiot for not having figured it out beforehand, especially since I had seen The Sixth Sense, but I attribute it much more to how the movie, leading up to that moment, was incredibly engrossing and had me engaged in the moment. I thought this film was incredibly well-written and shot, and the acting--all the way around--was top-notch. What a great suspenseful film and great film in general.
I remember when it first came out, Shyamalan took a dig at it, as if it ripped him off, which at the time I thought was fairly petty. Loved it from the first moment I saw it, fantastic film.
