So slow it almost stops

Rating: Null/10 (3 September 2001)

Building on the current success of supernatural thrillers with a twist at the end, The Others' stars Nicole Kidman as Grace, a recluse living in an old mansion with her two children Anne and Nicholas. After placing an advert for servants, the mysterious Mills family shows up explaining that they had worked for the previous owners of the house.
Grace hires them, but only on the understanding that her strange house rules must be obeyed. Her children are allergic to sunlight so all curtains must remain closed and the doors must be locked after they have been used. Grace quickly becomes annoyed with her new servants and fearful for her children as her rules are seemingly ignored. But with Mrs Mills denying all knowledge, and her daughter claiming to be able to see ghosts, her children's safety might not be her only problem.
The Others is build around a slow, methodical pace building up to a crescendo at the end. Director, Alejandro Amenábar's filming is almost Tim Burton-esque in its darkness and filming, yet lacks any sort of surprises or dialogue to keep you interested. The ending is intriguing, but after two M. Night-Shylaman films, the cinema-goer is already expecting something similar.
If The Others was looking to cash in on The Sixth Sense's success, then the least it could have done is hone in on the biggest success, namely Haley Joel-Osment. As it is, the children, are sorely under-used with too much emphasis on the two-dimensional, neurotic Grace, and the servants, who come across as retarded weirdoes.
The return of Grace's husband three quarters of the way in serves little purpose other than to stretch out the already overlong plot as well as leave the viewer even more bemused.
The Others shows elements that, if used in the right way, could have been put together to form a half decent movie. Unfortunately the attempt at Hitchcock style pacing falls flat on it's face, with its dull tempo and tedious length letting down what could have been something quite distinctive.
6/10