Customer Reviews

The Others (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(218)
4 star:		(113)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

Unfortunately , Amazon have placed over 400 reviews of the DVD version of this fantastic movie on the blu-ray edition release page , creating a totally false impression of what it really is.
The bargain bucket Canadian company Alliance have distributed this classic chiller and turned it into a disaster movie.
It is not even 1080P but has been transferred at 1080i (interactive) - why on earth is any company which wants to be considered serious and not a joke is doing this in this day and age is beyond me.
Worse is to come , they haven't even transferred the extras from the dvd edition - this is the first time I have seen a blu-ray that has not a single extra .
Even more staggering - it doesn't even have a MENU - the film just starts immediately like a stripped down pirated version devoid of any frills whatsoever.
The quality of the image is slightly better than the standard DVD ( as it obviously should be ) but not much - and that is hardly surprising considering they have used only 16 GB total space on the disc.
The actual video bitrate hovers around 15 mbps - about half what a new blu-ray release delivers or should deliver.
The audio fares better , a dts hd ma 5.1 english track along with dolby digital 5.1 in English & French but take away the size of the audio ( about 5 GB ) and you are left with a video transfer ( AVC 4.1 ) that uses only 10 GB when the capacity of a blu-ray release is about 46 GB total.( although the disc used in this release is only single sided at a paltry 25 Gb )
A barebones release and a total failure in my eyes - this great film deserves far better treatment than this and hopefully a more preofessional company will release it elsewhere in better conditions.
Very disappointing Alliance - a one star low budget cheap (not in price) release.
Don't be fooled by the gushing DVD reviews on this page - they have nothing to do with this release on blu-ray !!!

The Others is an absolutely incredible movie. Only too rarely does a movie come along that can absolutely stun you all at once with its implications. The ending of this movie absolutely caught me unawares, and in one single instant, before the movie even told me what was happening, a blow of shocking revelation hit me right in the stomach. Few movies deliver a personal epiphany to the viewer, but The Others does just that. I cannot point to any part of the film that was not perfectly done. Nicole Kidman gives her best performance ever, carrying the audience along with her character's pain and confusion. The children plays their roles remarkably well, with all the subtlety and believability required to make this movie succeed as a psychological masterpiece. The three servants were magnificent, although I did not appreciate the true greatness of their performance until the end. The house itself is very much a character in the movie, and the darkness, gloominess, and vulnerability it projects into every scene is palpable. There are surely great challenges to directing a movie with such an atmosphere and darkness and isolation, but not only did a twenty-eight year old Alejandro Amenabar direct a masterpiece, he also wrote the screenplay and composed the musical score. The music, without a doubt, greatly magnifies the effects of the increasingly tense, otherworldly atmosphere.

This movie was quite different from what I expected from the trailers I had seen. It definitely has the power to frighten and unnerve its audience, but this is so much more than just some kind of psychological horror. Anyone passing the movie by as just another haunted house story is robbing himself/herself of a great experience. The DVD package contains a number of extra features on a second disc, and the supporting material does add depth and meaning to the movie's themes. Along with a look at the making of the movie, there is a feature on the rare disease the children in the film suffer from, an affliction so rare that there is very little awareness of it among the public. The only thing missing is an audio commentary of the movie by the director and/or actors.

This is really one of the best motion pictures I have ever seen and truly deserving of the critical acclaim it has garnered. The ending really hits you like a ton of bricks. Calling The Others a movie is doing it a disservice; it is a profound, unparalleled motion picture experience that you should not allow yourself to be deprived of.

Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others" is a reminder that very good films need not be glitzy or gimmicky. Neither is an excess of special effects or action sequences required. Film is an exercise in storytelling and good films succeed in telling their story well no matter how small and quaint the film may appear to be.

Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Nicholas (James Bentley) and Anne (Alakina Mann), live in a manor off the British coast. Three strangers arrive one day in answer to a placed advertisement for domestic help. For some strange reason, the three strangers prove to be familiar with Grace's house. Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), Lydia (Elaine Cassidy), and the gardener Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) soon immerse themselves in the daily routine of the manor, but the mood of the house suddenly seems changed with them around. Is there something to the strangers or is Grace's imagination just getting the better of her?

"The Others" revels in its simplicity. This is a film reminiscent of an earlier era in terms of filmmaking craft but it does not at all feel like a time-displaced relic when viewed through the filter of modern sensibilities. A legitimately unsettling atmosphere is created under the deft direction of Amenabar and Kidman is granted a wonderful opportunity to put her acting talents on display. She takes full advantage of her chance to carry a film on her own and succeeds admirably. Kidman is the emotional and dramatic catalyst of the story and the film as a whole would have been far less effective had she faltered. Flanagan, Cassidy, and Sykes are also great as the sweet but creepy strangers. From the outset, we know that there is something amiss by their arrival on the scene but we cannot put our finger on it. A tip of the hat to Amenabar for keeping us in suspense until the very end. Good work all around.

Another fantastic example of a new genre of smart, very well written and very well made horror movies. Had this come before Sixth Sense it would deserve a full 5 stars.

Very strong ghost story, with excellent performances and clever twists. Frightening without ever being obvious, and I appreciate that it stresses atmosphere, character and subtlety over 'cats jumping from closets' easy jolts. or gore.

Probably the closest analog in feel is the 60s classic 'The Innocents'. Some very smart and unexpected turns, and a lot of real emotion for this genre. Nicole Kidman is great, as are the two kids playing her children A smashingly entertaining, stylish haunted house thriller.

Definately one of Nicole's Best Performances this film is gripping anc chilling. The acting is great and the plot takes you for many twists and turns. This reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie and it will definately be remembered.

This movie is really a work of art. The athmosphere it creates without any significant visual effects is simply remarkable. The tension is capable. It's not necessarily very scary but why it has to be. The acting by Nicole Kidman as paranoid single mother deserves Oscar. I think this movie is much more than just ghost story - there are all kinds of contexts here, such as, for example, religion. The ending is good and quite unexpected but even without this the movie would be totally worth watching. I was struggling between 4 and 5 stars since I found it to be just a little bit slow. On the other hand, maybe this slowness is what contributes to the overall impression. 4.5 stars.

This movie has a good ending (the surprising twist), but certain things don't add up.

A couple of characters act as if they have a secret agenda, but it turns out differently. If there are others in the house then there should have been a lot more activity in the house. More furniture moving, more objects disappearing, etc.

Don't expect any blood or gore. This is a clean suspense thriller.

had good acting and story. not that scary, but there was some scenes with suspense.

The Others is a classy ghost story that is one of the best I've seen in a long time if not ever.Nicole Kidman does a fantastic job as a paranoid mother of two children.I love the setting in this movie; the 50's and the nice old mansion.The acting is also done wonderfully.This movie impressed me also because It didn't rely on special effects to scare.The casting was done how it should be even though I don't know any of the cast besides Kidman.I enjoy the camera work also.The dialogue is also very good for a horror film.The characters are also memorable.Finally I loved the plot; it had so many twists and turns there towards the end.The ending is great and that is all I'll say.I would definetly recommend this flick to anyone in the mood for a really entertaining movie.

THE OTHERS begins with a close-up of a woman screaming. By the time this intense film ends, everyone watching it will be screaming and gasping. Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a woman raising two children by herself in a creepy mansion. World War II is over, but Grace's husband never returned. Meanwhile, the two children, Anne and Nicholas, must constantly stay in the dark because they are deathly allergic to light. Then one day three people show up to take over for Grace's disappeared staff, and trouble starts to brew. The odd trio--an aging nanny, an elderly gardener, and a young mute girl--seems to have a slightly different agenda than Grace and the children do. But when Anne starts talking to strange, unseen people, the scares start building to an incredible climax.

"A tense and fascinating ghost story."
-- Brian Webster, APOLLO GUIDE