Has atmosphere, but no punch

Rating: 5/10 (26 August 2002)

I am amazed at how highly people have ranked this film. While I agree it was very well-made and well-acted, it didn't have any real chills to offer and it was easy to guess the story right away.
********SPOILERS******* Maybe I've just seen too many movies and watched too much TV. Anyone who has seen HAUNTED with Aidan Quinn plus the episode "My So-Called Life and Death" of the short-lived TV anthology NIGHT VISIONS will not be surprised by THE OTHERS. And there are probably many other previous tellings of the same basic story. It all adds up quickly: No electricity, no telephone, the postman never comes, and the priest doesn't visit anymore. It's not too hard to figure out the "twist" and where Victor and his family fit into it. ********END SPOILERS******
Despite finding the story predictable, I'd recommend this movie to people because the story is told well and with atmosphere. However, I was never scared nor startled once. This isn't that kind of ghost story.