Original Thriller

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2005)

"The Others", starring Nicole Kidman, sustains its classic horror setting without being super formulatic (though at times it is). It has a brilliant surprise ending, but some people may not understand it the first time watching.
Grace Stewart (Kidman) is a stressed-out and enormously religious English housewife whose husband has gone off to fight in the war (I think it's World War 1). Her children are allergic to sunlight, and can only live by candlelight. The family lives in an enormous, evil-looking mansion on an English island, where it's always foggy and huge black gates protect the sizable estate. The house looms over the grounds, and - huge surprise! - there's a small cemetery in the back. Now who would guessed - a horror movie? With a cemetery?!!!! Anyways, Grace hires a crew to tutor the kids and be general servants. It's an odd crew, featuring a witch-like elderly lady, an equally wicked-seeming gardener, and a timid servant girl who never speaks a word (this part is awkwardly played by the actress). Once the crew is hired, strange things start to happen - including a stupendously filmed scene involving a forbidden piano playing in the night. Grace connects the bizarre happenings with the ever-odd crew, whose eccentricity seems to be growing with the surreality.
Despite some awkward acting and horror movie deja vu, this is an amazing movie that will scare you long after you finish watching it.