The Others

  • Review Date: May 19, 2003
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Thriller
  • 2001
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Good but creepy; may be too intense for some.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie doesn't have any bad language or gory images, but it's genuinely creepy and may be upsetting even for older children. Some will be concerned over Anne's questioning of her mother's religious principles or disturbed by the implications of the final explanation.


What's the story?

THE OTHERS centers around Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, who live in a huge old home on an isolated British island. World War II has ended, but she still hasn't heard from her husband and is trying not to let herself fear that he may be dead. Her two children have a genetic photo-sensitivity and break out in welts if they are exposed to any light stronger than a candle. The servants all left mysteriously, so they are there alone when three new servants show up, explaining that they worked at the house once years before and were happy there, so they have returned. Their arrival is unsettling, but not as unsettling as evidence of "intruders," including sightings by Grace's daughter Anne. Grace does her best to hold everything together, to protect the children's souls (she is deeply religious). She also has an elaborate system of keys to make sure that all doors are locked and all curtains drawn, to keep out light, as she says, the way a ship is designed to keep out water.


Is it any good?

 

Way back before computer graphics, moviemakers knew how to scare us through what the movie didn't show us. They knew that no one knows what scares us as well as we do ourselves, and that anything we could imagine would be far scarier than anything they could put on the screen. The Others is a return to that kind of old-fashioned-squeaky door hinge-flapping shutter -- "Who is that playing Chopin downstairs when I know I locked the piano?" -- "She can't leave now! It's too foggy!" sort of thriller, the kind that creeps into your bones and makes you shiver.

This movie is more mood than plot, but the mood is expertly handled by the writer/director and by Kidman, who makes her attempts to maintain control scarier than outright terror. The cast is outstanding and the ultimate resolution properly eerie.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about their views on life after death and why that has been a powerful theme in fiction as well as theology from the beginning of time.

  • This movie is creepy, but it isn't gory. How does it manage to be scary without being bloody?


This review was written by Nell Minow
Teen, 14 years old
August 26, 2010
 
AWSOME
This creepy chilling movie is a definetly a #1 ghost story. The story is about a mother who lives in a house in 1948 with her two children who cant be in light. When her daughter starts saying that she sees people in the house at first the mother gets angry and feed up with her thinking shes making it up. but she slowly starts to see and hear them. And as she starts to relise what her daughter said was true she starts to unravel daark, horrifying things and secrets that will haunt her for the rest of her life...... The movie is scary, creepy and to some younger viewers (10 and under) it can be horrifying. But its very well made and awsome from beggining to end!

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Kid, 13 years old
July 13, 2010
 
WOW!!!!
I watched this movie when I was younger, not knowing anything at all about it, and I loved it! I watched it the whole way through with out being bored one bit throughout it! There are only two scary scenes, the rest is just suspenseful. I own this movie and I watch it all the time. I would suggest this to anyone! This is not a cliche teen horror flick. It is original and not only made for scares! You won't be disappointed that you spent your time or money on this. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

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Parent of 2 and 2 year old
April 26, 2011
 
Good for tweens and older teenagers
This movie is fine, but it does get really freaky. I cant watch it all the way through, its pretty scary

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Adult
October 10, 2010
 
Creepy and well-made, with a great twist
This is superb horror film. It doesn't use gruesome, grisly gore to attract attention. It doesn't even use that many startling jump scenes. It uses Hitchcock-style suspense and creepiness. It makes the viewer think "Wow, that's intense," and not "Wow, that's disgusting, but stupid." Nicole Kindman does a fantastic job as the freaked-out widow/mother, and the kids are really good too. And, if you don't like it, wait until the end, because there's a really good twist. Don't worry, no spoilers here! Parents: although this isn't a violent film, it is an immensely creepy one, and it is often scary. Bottom Line: a must-see for horror fans, unless all they want is gore. Then they can rely on Saw or something. Thanks for reading! - Movie Man

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Kid, 13 years old
January 5, 2011
 
Quite good at first .
Not really scary but when i first watched it, it was quite intense and some of it was disturbing. No gore or visual horror though, which is why it is rated a 12+.

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Parent of 12 year old
February 13, 2010
 
perfect for pre-teens that enjoy a fright.
My son loves scary movies but there are very few scary movies out there that are clean. In this movie there is no language and there is no sex. Which makes it a perfect scary movie for any pre-teen but make sure your child can handle the scares because this movie offers alot of creepy scenes and some frights.

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Teen, 14 years old
January 21, 2011
 
I think it is a pretty good movie. I think the scene where Meowica women appears might scare kids under 12.

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Kid, 12 years old
April 21, 2011
 
this movie is not too gory just how i like it
a really good movie exept for when a little girl pocceses an old lady

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Teen, 16 years old
April 21, 2009
 
Intense at moments
This movie is very intense at parts but not flat out scary. The language is not at all but there is a minor scene of sexuality between a married couple which is just kissing followed by an image of their backs naked in bed (nothing explicit)

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Parent of 18 year old
December 3, 2010
 
Saw the movie myself and thought it was a suspenseful movie with a twist. I liked it, but they could have added an extra half hour to it more.

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Miramax
Director:Alejandro Amenabar
Cast:Alakina Mann, Christopher Eccleston, Nicole Kidman
Genre:Thriller
Run time:101 minutes
Theatrical release date:August 10, 2001
DVD release date:May 14, 2002
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:thematic elements and frightening moments

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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