Alejandro Amenábar directs Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan and Christopher Eccleston in this supernatural horror where an isolated country house is full of strange disturbances and secrets.

Doors that must remain locked, fog that cannot be escaped, piles of autumnal leaves that cover something wicked. As a shocker it only really has the primo shit once or twice but The Others is more about atmosphere than scares. This is horror cinema as decoupage, lots of layers of gimmicks, red herrings and half whispers that build up into a satisfying whole. It looks wonderful – Kidman, for example, has never looked more like a 1950s movie goddess in her skintight lady of the house attire, bone white make-up and bleached curls. In my opinion her two purest works of genre, this and Dead Calm, contain her best performances… forget all that Oscar bait crap. It might only truly work the first time out as a rattler but the level of detail and care put into the movie making means The Others is always a classy rewatch.

7

Perfect Double Bill: The Innocents (1961)

Check out my wife Natalie’s Point Horror blog https://cornsyrup.co.uk

We also do a podcast together called The Worst Movies We Own. It is available on Spotify or here https://letterboxd.com/bobbycarroll/list/the-worst-movies-we-own-podcast-ranking-and/