Everyone loves a good ghost story. Everyone. Whether your regular go-to category is romantic comedies, action films, or if you’re a die-hard horror fan, when you’re having a hard time agreeing what to watch, a good ghost story is exactly what you need. The problem with most ghost stories is that there’s usually a twist that, once known, tends to inspire an “I’ve seen that already” when it’s in the group’s watchlist. We know, “He was a ghost all along; they were ghosts all along; she was murdered, and they covered it up; they moved the headstones, but they didn’t move the bodies.” There are only so many twisted tropes; but when someone in the group says they’ve seen it, they’re just being a scaredy-pants.
A ghostly twist in the vein of O. Henry short stories aren’t only good once. If they want to miss another go ’round, just set that ghost story aside for a nice evening alone, preferably in dreary weather. Ghost stories are meant to be consumed when you’re feeling vulnerable. It’s okay if you have someone else there to squeeze your knee for the tense parts, though. It adds to the effect. The best of them can be seen again and again, as long as you’ve waited a period of time so you’ve forgotten some of the details. How long is good? I don’t know what the minimum is, but if you haven’t seen The Others (2001) in the twenty years since its release, it might be time to revisit that mansion in the Channel Islands, Jersey, England. The chills are waiting for you.
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The curtains are pulled back (then removed altogether!) in 1945, which helps support the timeless feel of the film itself. If you had never seen it, and you had no idea who Nicole Kidman or the supporting cast was, you might believe the movie had been released somewhere between the ’60s and the ’80s. Shot almost entirely in Spain, writer/director Alejandro Amenábar created a gothic atmosphere that centered around a woman and her two children who were photosensitive. Light much more than candle-light would burn their skin. It’s a convenience for the story that might make someone claim, in hindsight, to have known what was coming all along. They rarely did, though. They just like to say that. The Others barely telegraphs anything. It actually manages to present what seems to be a different twist entirely, which is part of the genius of Amenábar’s writing. The dialogue is clever enough to form the skeleton of the story without giving you the guts until the end. When you think it’s throwing you a bone, it’s actually a bloody red herring.
Years later, lots of folks like to make fun of Haley Joel Osment’s performance in The Sixth Sense (1999). He’s the butt of memes to this very day. But he, and that classic from M. Night Shyamalan, also inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and O. Henry, were revolutionary at the time. The kid, the movie, and the writer/director have since, undeservedly, become a punchline. There is no way that James Bentley (Nicolas) and Alakina Mann (Anne) will ever become a joke to anyone. Their performances complement Nicole Kidman’s in a way that adult actors pray for. Cast perfectly, these kids sold their roles, as well as the trio of house help played by Elaine Cassidy, Eric Sykes, and the consummate Fionnula Flanagan. An authentic detail that would have been overlooked in most projects, the actors playing the children who don’t see sunlight were kept from seeing the sun before and during filming. Having the chops to deliver their strong-willed lines was a bonus.
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The Others doesn’t only hold up. It’s a force that does the holding. It followed a trend of ghostly tales that were prominent at the turn of the century, but somewhere along the way it took a lead, and never let it go. It’s definitely one of the top five best ghost stories ever told in the movies. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s time for a rewatch.
Special notes: If you’re a credit watcher, take note of who painted the mood for this film. Digital matte painters Gregorio Molina and Ivan Lopez and scenic artist Julian Martin are responsible for much of the palette that gives the film its timeless tone. Storyboard artists Sergio Rozas and Natalia Montes created old-fashioned angles and pans that gave it the classic feel.
Additionally, there’s a phenomenon I’ve tried to put a name to for decades of watching movies. You see a film, and years later you see it again. Inevitably, some tertiary or background character who seemed like scenery at the time is someone who has since “made it.” A good example of this is Clint Eastwood. His first bit part in a movie was in Revenge of the Creature (1955). He wasn’t “Clint Eastwood” to anyone at the time, but now when you see him you point and say, “Hey, that’s Clint Eastwood!” Since he’s the example I’m using, let’s call this phenomenon an “Eastwood Role.” It’s not just bit parts or first films, though. It’s when you recognize someone the second time around because their careers have since made them famous. This is just to point out that I will never watch The Others again without seeing Game of Thrones’ Catelyn Stark at the seance in the end. Michelle Fairley has an Eastwood Role as Mrs. Marlish, and it made me giddy to see her. I laughed out loud, then remembered her saying, “Laughter is poison to fear.”
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