Dejavu in many ways

Rating: 6/10 (20 January 2002)

Not very original and in terms of the acting little convincing, yet stylish flick with a twisted finish that reminded me (and some of the other reviewers here) of "The Sixth Sense". Rumors spread that Amenabár wrote the script before "The Sixth Sense" came out, but even if that would turn out to be true, it wouldn't make "The Others" a more valuable film.

Amenabár evolves a very conventional haunted house plot, with Nicole Kidman in the centre of attention, as she gives an above average but not compelling performance as a strict and at the same time desperate mother, concerned about her two kids. The youngsters are over-sensitive to light of all sources as a result of a rare disease. Since they can't be exposed to daylight, all windows of the inhabited mansion are permanently darkened. Three domestic servants move in and strange things start to occur, like the floor board creaks without anybody walking and the kids begin to hear voices and so on.
The film is too much about Nicole Kidman's character and the kids aren't believable for most of the time, showing once again the difficulty of finding talented low-aged actors. All in all "The Others" looks somehow dated and creates tension just in a few good moments. The photography is quite good though.
Rating: 5-6/10