A haunting masterpiece of gothic suspense returns to TV tonight – and viewers still call it “exceptional,” “mind twisting,” and “the best suspense movie of all time.”
Released in 2001, this eerie psychological horror proved Nicole Kidman could command the screen like no other. Written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, the Spanish filmmaker behind Open Your Eyes and The Sea Inside, the film unfolds in a remote country house on the island of Jersey, shortly after the Second World War.
Kidman stars as Grace Stewart, a devoutly religious mother raising her two light-sensitive children – played by Alakina Mann and James Bentley – in near-total darkness.
Grace enforces strict rules in the house: no door is to be opened until the last one is closed, and every curtain must remain drawn to protect her children from sunlight. But when a trio of new servants arrives, strange occurrences begin to unsettle the household.
Footsteps echo in empty rooms, piano music plays when no one is there, and Grace starts to suspect the home is haunted – though the truth, as it turns out, is far more disturbing.
Shot in Spain with meticulous period detail, The Others uses its fog-draped setting and candlelit interiors to craft a slow, creeping tension rather than relying on gore or jump scares.
“This movie is really amazing and has a mind twisting plot,” wrote one fan on Rotten Tomatoes, while another praised it as “a slow-burn spooky ghost film with a great twist since The Sixth Sense… Nicole Kidman does an incredible, strong leading performance and the cinematography looks gorgeously gothic.”
Kidman’s performance is widely regarded as one of her finest – poised, intense, and emotionally raw as Grace’s faith begins to unravel. “Exceptional performances by Nicole Kidman and her children,” one viewer noted. “This might be my favourite of her movies that I grew up with. The thing that stands out is how well the misdirection is executed.”
Critics at the time were equally impressed. The film won eight Goya Awards – Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars – including Best Film and Best Director, and it remains one of the few English-language films ever to win that honour. Kidman also received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for her role.
Over two decades later, The Others continues to mesmerise new audiences. “My favourite horror movie ever,” another fan wrote. “One of the biggest twists I never saw coming.”
The Others will be on BBC2 tonight at 11pm.
