Over the past few years, audiences have been exposed to the "house of horrors" movie more than a couple times - the most recent being The House on Haunted Hill and The Haunting. What both of these movies brought to the genre was the same thing we've grown used to thesedays - CGI effects that hardly look real, along with a storyline that features all the classic elements - people splitting up when they shouldn't, doors creaking open or closing on their own, odd sounds from distant rooms, etc. As audiences have come to expect these poorly crafted horror films, it's always a pleasant surprise to see a film that is able to maintain its originality throughout while being frightfully eerie at the same time. The Others exhibits such originality and eerieness that you can't help but love the movie from start to finish.

Rather than rely on the CGI effects and silly plot that we've come to expect from the usual haunted house movie, The Others is able to combine a truly scary plot with a twist at the end that is usually absent from the genre. Set on the English coast of Jersey, The Others takes place within an ancient house that itself lends enough spookiness to the movie. The movie stars Nicole Kidman as Grace along with her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). Both the children are photosensitive, and if exposed to any bright light, will immediately break out in blisters, and could eventually be fatal. This odd twist adds another element, where rather than the darkness being an enemy, it is the ally of the residents. Everything around the house must be illuminated by candlelight and in order to keep the children away from sunlight from other rooms, before opening a door in a room, the previous door that was used must be closed. Both of these elements combine to lend a sort of spooky element to the movie without even considering the strange voices Anne hears and the odd happenings within the house.

Set in one location with only six main characters throughout (Grace, Anne, Nathan & 3 servants), you'd think that the film would be sluggishly slow. But with little ambient light and characters who all have differing opinions on what exactly is happening within their house, the movie takes on a pace that is perfect - it's not too fast so that you remember just the start and the end, but rather, every little piece of information is absorbed and the audience is left with a film to digest when all is said and done that most definately requires a second viewing.

Kidman anchors the movie with her second strong performance of the year as Grace, who suffers from migraines when there's too much noise and also has to deal with the constant reality that she can't leave the house with her children, and being extremely protective, thusly refuses to go anywhere. Kidman is able to put forth an aura of strength amidst a crumbling house using both her beauty and strength to portray the comforting mother who is both strict and compassionate. Her masterful performance lies at the heart of this beautifully eerie film as she struggles to maintain her composure while at the same time running a household without the aid of her husband (who is presumed dead after going off to World War II).

Alejandro Amenabar's masterful direction keeps the movie flowing as it exudes an eerie quality that takes some time to set all the elements in place. Through his superb direction and the top quality acting put forth by all involved, The Others is a film that will only get better upon subsequent viewings. All in all, The Others is a very creepy movie and a welcome escape from the other so-called "scary" movies we've been subjected to in the past couple years. It'll keep you guessing to the end and leave you feeling like you've actually seen a movie you can tell your friends about and discuss aftwerwards. A rare quality about a rare film that is very easily called the best of the summer.

Genres: Thriller, Horror, Haunted Houses
Rated: PG-13 - For thematic elements and frightening moments.
Runtime: 101 minutes
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