A remote manor; hushed, candlelit atmosphere; and shivery, supernatural menace. With his first English-language feature, Chilean Spanish writer-director-composer Alejandro Amenábar resurrected the classic gothic chiller to create a ghost story of uncommon emotional resonance. Nicole Kidman stars as a World War II–era mother whose imperiousness masks a terrifying pain, as she keeps her light-sensitive children enshrouded in darkness on her country estate. The arrival of three new servants punctures her insular world—and seems to disturb the balance between the living and the dead. With each stunning twist and turn, Amenábar immerses us more deeply in a realm haunted not only by spirits but also by guilt, trauma, and repression.
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Video Quality
The Criterion Collection presents The Others with a resplendent 2160p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that has been approved by director Alejandro Amenábar. It is important to note that there is no form of HDR included on this release, but the 4K UHD SDR presentation does still allow for more nuance and a wider color gamut that is in line with the preferences of the filmmaker. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray in 2011 with a DVD-era master by Lionsgate, and we do have that release to compare. The differences are night and day, and this new release gives fans the ultimate presentation of the film that they have been clamoring to own for years.
The film is very dark and overcast throughout which provides a rich, deep aesthetic that heightens the mysterious nature of the narrative. Previous releases seem to have been either overly brightened or too murky, but the new transfer seems to strike the perfect balance that was always intended. This is far from a colorful film, but there are welcome shades in the Gothic color palette. Perhaps the biggest benefit to this 4K UHD experience is the command of contrast. There are moments of intensely deep shadows, especially since light is unwelcome in the manor, which never succumbs to crush or banding as the characters exist in darkness. There is the scene near the end when the darkness is broken by removing curtains which intentionally pushes the highlights to a brilliant luminance yet they somehow manage not to bloom. The modulation is terrific.
Fine detail has been improved as there are elements of the production design and costumes that reveal more subtle facets than ever before. Even the makeup on the mysterious older woman playing with the marionettes looks more textured with the added resolution. This transfer presents with such clarity that the space feels almost three-dimensional, which in that cliche way makes the house feel like a character. The transfer provides the perfect amount of natural film grain which remains intact and resolves flawlessly. There are no signs that any grain reduction has been applied, as you get a fine sheen that resolves quite well without veering into swarmy, blocky noise. Any minor moments of print damage have long since been eliminated. This transfer is a home run for fans of the film, and it is difficult to imagine it ever looking better.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a Dolby Atmos track remastered from the magnetic tracks which delivers a masterful presentation for this material. The sound design of this feature is very deliberate yet robust when the scene calls for it. The environmental sounds throughout the house are rendered with precision alongside everything else. It is here where the implementation of the height channels shows off as you have the sounds of footsteps across the floor sounding like they are right above you. This aspect is not overly showy, but it does make the experience feel more immersive and unsettling. The low-end response is not constantly engaged but it digs deep during some chilling moments to provide some notable texture to the proceedings.
The score from Alejandro Amenábar is used perfectly to establish the tone of the story, and this track delivers this without fail throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it comes close to overshadowing competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The track is very engaged in the front channels given the prominence of dialogue, but there is an expansive soundscape that captures the carefully constructed sound design of the film with perfect fidelity. There are not any noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. The Criterion Collection has given this film a tremendous audio experience. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Others includes a foldout booklet featuring the essay “Something In This House” by Professor Philip Horne which provides rich context and analysis of the film that enhances your appreciation to even greater heights. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Director Alejandro Amenábar provides a commentary track recorded in 2022 that is presented in Spanish with English subtitles. In this track, the filmmaker discusses what inspired him to make this film, how he wanted it to be different than his previous feature, elements he took from his childhood, the aesthetic of the film, shooting on a set in Madrid, settling on the appropriate look of the house, working with Nicole Kidman, how Tom Cruise helped dictate the aspect ratio of the film, and much more you will not want to miss.
- Alejandro Amenábar and Pau Gómez: A 37-minute conversation recorded in 2023 between the filmmaker and critic Pau Gómez in which they discuss why Amenábar wanted to tell a ghost story, the influence of the supernatural on his childhood, the presence of religious faith within the story, his personal feelings about religion and the supernatural, the lack of movement with the camera, working with the young children, and much more.
- A Look Back at The Others: A new 51-minute documentary that includes interviews with Amenábar, actors Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston, and producer Fernando Bovaira. This piece provides a broad overview of the filmmaker in the context of his movies, the shooting locations, the casting of the film, the appeal of the material to the performers, the development of the motives of the characters, the challenges faced, and much more
- The Making of The Others: A 29-minute archival piece that features interviews with the cast and creative team made for a Spanish-speaking audience since the English exchanges are dubbed over in Spanish with English subtitles provided.
- On The Set: A five-minute look at the direction of Alejandro Amenábar on set working with the crew and the performers.
- Art Direction: A two-and-a-half-minute featurette is provided which shows set-design models and costume illustrations with commentary by Production Designer Benjamín Fernández.
- Visual Effects: A seven-minute look at the visual effects enhancements throughout the movie featuring insights from Visual Effects Supervisor Félix Bergés.
- Recording The Soundtrack: A six-minute look at the creation of the score with Alejandro Amenábar with insights into how his process differed on this feature and the intentions behind certain scenes.
- Photographing The Dead: A three-minute look at the production of the photos of the dead seen in the film.
- Audition Footage: A three-minute piece with actors Alakina Mann and James Bentley that shows footage from their audition.
- Deleted Scenes: There are eight minutes of unused footage provided here featuring small moments that were cut for pacing reasons.
- Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Others is the gold standard of modern Gothic horror. It is a simple ghost story, but every element is perfectly executed to make it an extremely chilling experience. The movie has a very deliberate pace, yet it is not one that ever feels languid. Every scene is a gentle escalation of the discomfort that resides in the house until it flourishes to an unforgettable finale. Nicole Kidman is in top form from beginning to end. This is an experience that has only grown in effectiveness over the years. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a grand A/V presentation and some great new and archival special features. If you are a fan of ghost stories, this is a must-buy. Highly Recommended
The Criterion Collection edition of The Others is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.