A spooky ride of a movie.

Rating: 10/10 (9 July 2002)

THE OTHERS was written in the year 2000 by a Spanish guy named Alejandro Amenabar. Yes, the same guy who wrote the Spanish film that VANILLA SKY was based on. So, instead of just making a film that rips-off of THE SIXTH SENSE, he also makes it in Spanish, titling it "Los Otros". Touche!
Nicole Kidman did an okay job of acting and we soon understand that her two children have the rarest of rare diseases. They are allergic to the light. So, when three mysterious servants arrive, strange things begin to happen. The cast is basically English, which is definitively odd since this film was written by a man of Spanish origins. The story moves along quickly and as everything is happening, it all seems to make sense. But then we wonder to ourselves, why is all this happening now? Why did it not happen years earlier? These questions are never explained and that is what helps make the film retched. Better examples of the genre would be the all-time classic, THE SIXTH SENSE, and many more consisting of WHAT LIES BENEATH, DRAGONFLY, THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES and about a hundred others. In fact, most of the above films are somehow cliched in the film, so that might be where the title came from. THE OTHERS can mean that the film is consisted of stolen material from "other" movies. But, that is only my interpretation. See it for yourself and see what you think. It is okay on a level of spookiness and chills. But that is about it. There are some creepy twists and turns which help the story stay thrilling enough to keep the viewers awake, but after it is over, you will be wondering the same very questions that I was. THE OTHERS: 4/5.