Spanish-American Gothic Horror Film, The Others

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The Others, directed, written and scored by Alejandro Amenabar, is a 2001 Spanish-American supernatural gothic horror film, which depicts the isolated life of Grace, her two children, and their ominous servants. Following the conventions associated with many supernatural movies, The Others appears to be merely another commonplace horror film as it contains no special elements that would set it apart from the rest, upon first sight. However, the viewers’ expectations of a stereotypical movie are startlingly shattered when the true nature of the film is revealed at the end. While, throughout the film, it seems as though the family is being hunted by evil spirits, the truth is that the family and the servants are actually the intruders haunting …show more content…

Right away, the viewers’ radars go up as they contemplate the real purpose for which the “servants” showed up at the family’s doorsteps in the first place. What makes this scene even more suspenseful is Mrs. Mills’ claim that, “[they] just came by on the off chance” and that “[they] in fact used to work here” (The Others). Not only are the servants somehow linked to the house, but they also turned up at the house’s doorstep exactly when Grace was in need of servants. This makes it seem like the servants have been somehow watching the family for a long time, waiting to creep into their lives at the right moment in order to fulfill their purpose, whatever it may be. Here, a small hint is dropped and the viewers are left to figure out the true identity of the “servants” on their own, which fills their minds with a suspenseful feeling of what will happen next. Furthermore, when asked about the reason for Lydia’s muteness, Mrs. Mills avoids the question in two occasions. This reveals to the viewers that Lydia’s muteness is due to a mystery that the servants are keeping from Grace. This revelation, once again, creates tension in the viewers’ mind as …show more content…

At the beginning of the film, the kids argue about whether “it” really happened on “that day.” Later, Charles, the father, asks grace about what actually happened on “that day” and then Anne tells Nicholas that, “[Grace] went mad and hit [her]” (The Others). These scenes appear at different parts of the movies, which is technique used to increase the tension at different intervals, creating a sense of suspense as the viewers wait for the next clue to be revealed. The viewers can already make out that Grace has done something abominable to her children, but do not know what. In addition, at one point, Mrs. Mills tells Grace, “sometimes the grief of the loss of a loved one can lead people to do the strangest things” (The Others). Although seemingly meaningless, this statement refers to Grace’s killing her children when the sadness of the loss of her husband overwhelms her. This foreshadowing is so subtle and clever that the viewers suspect nothing when hearing it upon first encounter. Only after watching the film a second time, can the viewers relate the clue to the conclusion that it refers to: the fact that on “that day, [Grace] went mad, smothered her children, and then shot herself” (The Others). All the different hints combined could possibly lead a quick-witted viewer to perceive the truth. However, the feeling of knowing

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