THE OTHERS (2001)

We love us a good mystery, don’t we? Something that tickles the mind and chills the soul. A thrilling caper with a satisfying, unpredictable reveal. Hell, the reveal doesn’t even have to be unpredictable, so long as the audience is left shocked and dumbfounded by the events that transpired during the dramatic conclusion.

Recently, audiences sat in a theater (or from the comfort of their own home) for a nearly three hour gaze into classic noir-thriller with Guillermo del Toro’s NIGHTMARE ALLEY. A dark, alluring mystery—full of chills, suspense, shocking revelations, and a troubled protagonist you can’t help but root for—even when you know there’s no saving them in the end.

Having recently watched del Toro’s latest, I couldn’t help but think of the other mystery/thrillers I’ve seen over the years. The ones that may have done it better or worse, but have that same air of wonder and suspense floating around them. THE OTHERS, a 2001 mystery/thriller, is one of those films that came to mind and stuck there.

I’ve seen it a handful of times since it was introduced to me at perhaps too young an age (shout-out mom and dad for fueling my love for horror early). Every time I watch it, even though I know how it ends, I still find myself completely wrapped up in the mystery and suspense.

Directed, written, and scored by Alejandro Amenábar, THE OTHERS follows Grace (Nicole Kidman) who, with her two children, moves to a house off the coast of Jersey. No, not the one with Snooki.

After hiring three servants to care for the household, strange happenings begin to occur. Pianos playing themselves, missing curtains, and the return of Grace’s husband, who was supposed to have died in WWII just before the beginning of the film. It becomes strikingly clear that something mysterious—perhaps even supernatural—is boiling just under the surface, waiting to be revealed.

I won’t spoil the ending here, but I will say that, like most mysteries, it’s more about the journey than the destination. How we get to the end is a suspenseful, heart-racing rollercoaster ride with twists and turns around every corner.

One of the most iconic scenes—even if you haven’t seen the movie, you may have still seen it—is of an old lady draped in a communion dress claiming to be Grace’s daughter. That still haunts me to this day.

Multiple sequences are constructed in such a way that the audience shares Kidman’s perspective, and thus also her terror and confusion.

The actor delivers a groundbreaking performance that’s so immersive it almost makes you forget that she’s read the script and knows how it all ends.

As if the mystery of the plot wasn’t enough, THE OTHERS also excels as a visual feast. Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe lines up some damn near perfect shots, relying on lighting and practical effects to give the house a creepy and lived-in (and died-in) feel. Amenábar’s score strikes hard when it needs to, accompanying jump scares that pull you off the edge of your seat and never let go. But the film has plenty of quieter moments, allowing the audience to breathe in the atmosphere of the Jersey residence.

21 years later, and there still hasn’t been a mystery/thriller that’s done it quite like THE OTHERS for me. I mentioned NIGHTMARE ALLEY at the jump because it really came close, and if you liked it, there’s a very good chance you’ll love Amenábar’s film. Perhaps it’s because I saw it at such a young age, before things like critical thinking and plot structure made it easier to determine a movie’s biggest reveals. But even now—the big reveal at the end, the journey to get there, and every shocking twist in-between—is still enough to make my jaw drop upon rewatching.

But if you’ve yet to see this moody, dramatic, and chilly 2001 feature, I highly recommend giving it a shot and experiencing it for the first time yourself. It’s likely at your local video store, if those are still things, or in the dollar bin at your local Wal-Mart (hey, it’s an old movie). Or you can procure a physical copy of THE OTHERS on Amazon (it is not currently streaming or available for digital rent/purchase in the U.S.). You won’t be disappointed, but you may be left staring at the screen for a minute after the credits roll.