The Others predicted that we'd be haunted by forever war
25 years ago, the Gothic ghost story The Others found itself lost in a violent fog that hasn't lifted since.
The Others, directed by Alejandro Amenábar, is a Gothic chiller with a twist ending that resonates even more 25 years after its release. The film is set during World War II in Jersey, a small island off the coast of France, where the family lives in isolation due to the war and the Nazis' occupation. The protagonist, Grace Stewart, played by Nicole Kidman, is a rigid and overprotective mother who kills her husband and children after learning her husband was killed in the war.
The film's true meaning becomes apparent upon a second viewing, as the twist ending is revealed to be a metaphor for Grace's obsession with structure and control. The film's atmosphere is perpetually foggy and dark, with the sun never breaking through the clouds, mirroring Grace's inability to let go of the past. Amenábar's cinematography and Aguirresarobe's score create a haunting, liminal world that invites the audience to peer through the veil but never fully exposes its truth.
The performance of Nicole Kidman as Grace Stewart is a masterclass in subtlety and intensity, making The Others a haunting and near-prophetic exploration of collective trauma and the ghosts of war.
Written by urgent.news from The A.V. Club's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
