The Others

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alejandro Amenábar directs. Javier Aguirresarobe behind the camera. Alejandro Amenábar scores. Nacho Ruiz Capillas cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in Spain, United States of America, France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Grossed $210M — a 12.4× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
• 225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
• 3International production across 3 countries: Spain, United States of America, France.
• 4Directed by Alejandro Amenábar, shot by Javier Aguirresarobe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Alejandro Amenábar. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Nacho Ruiz Capillas shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Nicole Kidman and Alakina Mann and James Bentley carry the top of the cast.
• 8Marketing tagline: "Sooner or later they’ll find you.".
• 9IMDB entry: tt0230600 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 10Classified under 19 themes, including "nightmare", "suicide attempt", "shotgun", "servant".
• 11Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Javier Aguirresarobe

Original score

Alejandro Amenábar

Editing

Nacho Ruiz Capillas

Production design

Benjamín Fernández

Costume design

Sonia Grande

Makeup / hair

Belén López-Puigcerver

VFX supervisor

Félix Bergés

Sound

Maite Rivera Carbonell

Stunt coordinator

Miguel Pedregosa

Runtime

101 min · 1h 41m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$17,000,000

Box office

$210,002,906

Return

1235% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG-13

IMDB

The Others (2001) ↗

Also by

Alejandro Amenábar

• 
  The Sea Inside

  2004 · ★ 7.6
• 
  Thesis

  1996 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Open Your Eyes

  1997 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Luna

  1995 · ★ 7.2
• 
  While at War

  2019 · ★ 7.1
• 
  Agora

  2009 · ★ 7.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Official 4K Restoration Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Wuchak2018-05-13
  ★ 7/10

  Spectral happenings on an estate in the Channel Islands after WWII (no spoilers) RELEASED IN 2001 and written & directed by Alejandro Amenábar, "The Others" is a haunted house flick about a woman (Nicole Kidman) who lives in an old manor on one of the Channel Islands with her two photosensitive children immediately after WWII. After three people arrive seeking employment, they increasingly become convinced that the abode is haunted. While this is a fantasy movie in that it depicts supernatural happenings, like doors mysteriously opening and closing, these types of unexplainable things have been known to happen. The movie is a serious exploration of what may really be occurring. The mansion seems sterile and there’s a one-dimensional pale ‘look’ to the bulk of the picture, which was intentional for obvious reasons. Speaking of which, the perpetually fog-laden grounds create a nice ghostly ambiance. Everything hinges on whether the last act effectively reveals the truth and it does. The film provides intriguing food for thought. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 44 minutes and was shot in Cantabria, Spain (exteriors of the mansion); Penshurst, Kent, England (The Lime Walk) and Madrid. GRADE: B/B-

  Read full review ↓
• CinemaSerf2024-04-25
  ★ 7/10

  "Grace" (Nicole Kidman) lives in her almost blacked-out stately pile on Jersey where her two children "Nicholas" (James Bentley) and "Anne" (Alakina Mann) are hyper-sensitive to light. When her staff mysteriously abscond, she has to employ a new housekeeper "Mrs. Mills" (Fionnula Flanagan), and together they must ensure that the children are always locked into a room with no access to any windows that are not shrouded by thick curtains. The suddenly she hears a noise. Maybe a voice, even? She searches in vain but these odd occurrences start to multiply. Their usually fastidious household routines start to unwind, doors are left unlocked and the children start telling their mother of people moving around the house - folks that she cannot see! Just what's going on? Are these happenings connected with "Mills" and the new staff? Great news when husband "Charles" (Christopher Eccleston) returns from the War - shellshocked and distant, or then again - does he actually return at all? "Grace" is becoming increasingly paranoid. She can't tell what's real and what's not - and her children are only fuelling her fears! Although way darker and more sinister, this actually reminded me a little of the "Amazing Mr. Blunden"! A ghostly story that uses children as a conduit between what might have been, or is, or may yet to be. The young Bentley and Mann deliver effectively here as director Alejandro Amenábar uses the dark and creaky house, extensive and frequently misty grounds and a creative sound effects mixer to create a genuine sense of menace. It's very hard to be innovate with this genre, there's just so much we have all seen before, but Kidman paces herself well here delivering a story that's not so predictable as we might have expected.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Cruise/Wagner Productions

  US

• 

  Sogecine

  ES

• LA

  Las Producciones del Escorpión

  ES

Key crew

• EditorNacho Ruiz Capillas
• Production DesignBenjamín Fernández
• Costume DesignSonia Grande
• ProducerFernando Bovaira
• ProducerJosé Luis Cuerda
• ProducerSunmin Park
• Executive ProducerTom Cruise
• Executive ProducerRick Schwartz
• Executive ProducerPaula Wagner
• Executive ProducerBob Weinstein
• Executive ProducerHarvey Weinstein
• CastingShaheen Baig
• CastingJina Jay
• Script SupervisorCarmen Soriano
• Associate ProducerEduardo Chapero-Jackson
• Line ProducerMiguel Ángel González
• Line ProducerEmiliano Otegui
• Sound DesignerMaite Rivera Carbonell
• Set DecorationEmilio Ardura
• Set DecorationElli Griff
• Set DecorationBenjamín Fernández
• Production IllustratorSteve Ellis
• Standby PainterSalvador Comes
• Camera OperatorJulio Madurga

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• nightmare
• suicide attempt
• shotgun
• servant
• cemetery
• world war ii
• nanny
• haunted house
• channel islands
• female protagonist
• mansion
• soldier
• gardener
• photosensitivity
• 1940s
• dreary
• jersey island
• baffled
• supernatural thriller

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2001-08-02PG-13
• Theatrical2001-08-10PG-13

Also known as

International titles

• NevidljiviBA
• DrugiteBG
• NevidljiviHR
• Ha-AherimIL
• Духови у намаRS
• ІншіUA
• 小岛惊魂CN
• Oi álloiGR
• アザーズJP
• ДругиеRU
• Los otrosES
• BaşqalarıAZ