Superior thriller

Rating: Null/10 (12 May 2002)

The Others is not a great horror film, but it's an effective thriller, and as a showcase for the ever-evolving talents of Nicole Kidman, it's pretty near perfect. All this film lacks are one or two genuinely frightening moments -- there are plenty of little shivers, but nothing that puts it into Shining or Exorcist territory as far as terror goes. The script is a marvel of narrative ingenuity, though -- it's amazing that Amenebar gets away with as much as he does given the cynical, questioning nature of most horror fans -- and the photography, which deserved at least an Oscar nomination, is so stunning that it makes even the lulls diverting. Probably the best film of its kind since "Jacob's Ladder" -- a pyschological thriller with meaningful themes and a satisfying, unforseen resolution that, rather than simply pulling out the rug from under us, imposes logic, and, yes, significance what came before. All this Meaningful Stuff, and it's also just an entertaining ghost story,like the kind they used to make in black-and-white out of great little short stories.
Call it *** 1/2.