The Others (2001) Dir: Alejandro Amenábar
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I expected this film to be more of a scary affair, but it turned out to be more thriller than horror. That is not a complaint by any means, on the contrary, I found it to be an incredibly intriguing story.
Admittedly, the film is a little slow up until the final 25 minutes or so, but the story works and if you have the patience, it will be worth it in the end.
Adapted from 'The Turn Of The Screw' by Henry James, the screenplay is excellently written and the perhaps inevitable twist is revealed very well.
Nicole Kidman stars, providing a very commendable and varied performance, not shying away from the large amount of screentime she has.
Christopher Eccleston is the other big name here, although he has very little actual screentime. That said, he fully capitalises on every one of his scenes, acting very well.
Fionnula Flanagon gives a good, if not great, performance in her supporting role - she starts off very solidly but tapers off a little towards the end.
Finally, a lot of credit should go to the young Alakina Mann and James Bentley, who both give very commendable performances for their age in roles that are not at all easy.
Overall, this film did the fundamentals very well and provided a twist that is still effective over twenty years later. Director Alejandro Amenábar did a very fine job of making sure this story winds up to its climax and delivers a hugely satisfying twist that left me surprised and very satisfied.
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