Executive produced by Tom Cruise, 2001’s The Others marked the last collaboration between him and Nicole Kidman prior to their divorce. Set in the British Isles 1945, Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), live in a grand, English home. It serves as a kind of fortress as they wait for husband and father Charles (Christopher Eccleston) to return from World War II.
One day, three strangers arrive at her doorway—Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), Lydia (Elaine Cassidy), and Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes)—looking for work. As luck would have it, the coterie of servants has recently vanished under mysterious circumstances. Just as mysteriously, it seems that this trio used to work in the manor many years ago.
The children suffer from a rare genetic condition that leaves them unable to be exposed to sunlight. The house is cloaked in darkness, lit only by candles. The curtains are drawn, and all fifty doors remain locked. Sunlight is unable to seep through, and Grace and the children never go outside. Grace spends much of her time tutoring the children, putting a heavy emphasis on religion. When the children misbehave, Grace reminds them of the dangers and consequences of sinning. However, Anne and Nicholas are bright children; they’re not afraid to question their mother’s theories. Anne is a spitfire, and often scares her brother. As a result, no one believes her when she claims to have seen a young boy named Victor around the house. When doors are slammed and curtains are thrown open without warning, Anne insists that Victor is behind it all.
Eventually, Grace begins to questions her own sanity when she finally witnesses the disturbances firsthand. She insists that the servants aid in the search for the source of the intrusion, but they find nothing. Written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside), The Others does a good job of mixing intrigue and suspense. While there are a couple of genuinely scary moments, the film concentrates more on building a solid, suspenseful story more than creating momentary scares. A threatening shot of the house covered in darkness and fog appears several times, and effectively illustrates Grace’s dilemma. The children’s light allergy requires near-constant darkness in the house. It also means the children are used to darkness, and their fearless curiosity is disquieting.
Nicole Kidman’s performance is highly effective. She carries off Grace’s icy demeanor very well. However, she makes it clear she’s dealing with a lot of sadness. After all, her husband hasn’t returned home and her children suffer from a serious disease. Then-youthful actors Mann and Bentley are also quite good, especially Mann, who gives Anne a healthy dose of sass without becoming irritating.
I won’t spoil the ending for those of you who haven’t seen the film. For me, the conclusion is both shocking and heartbreaking. Heavy on atmosphere and graced with a good story, The Others is an excellent suspense/horror film.
Presented in its original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, Lionsgate’s 1080p transfer is dark by design. Despite the darkness, black levels are strong. However, the heavy darkness has resulted in some instances of crush throughout the film. Flesh tones are natural and accurate looking. Details can vary, but are at their best when there is some light on the scene.
The DTS HD Master Audio track serves this dialogue driven film very well. This mix handles the dialogue and the loud knocks and bumps that occur later in the film. The LFE do their part as well to make this one very well-rounded track.
English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles are included.
The following special features are on the disc:
- Xeroderma Pigmentosum: What Is It? The Story of a Family Dealing with the Disease (SD; 8:57) is a fascinating profile of the Mahar family, whose daughter is one of the few people worldwide who suffers from XP, the allergy to light which is depicted in the film.
- A Look Inside The Others (SD; 21:56) is a decent EPK, with good interviews with Kidman and several other principal cast members, as well as Alejandro Amenábar. Interestingly, while co-producer Paula Wagner is featured, Tom Cruise, Wagner’s producing partner and near the end of his marriage with Kidman, is sparingly included.
- Visual Effects Piece (SD; 4:29) is a really interesting split screen look at chromakey and other effects generators utilized in the film.
- An Intimate Look at Director Alejandro Amenábar (SD; 8:14) is a brief but interesting profile of the writer-director, showing him at work on set and consulting with the actors.
- Theatrical Trailer (SD; 2:30)
