A Reel 25: THE OTHERS

“I am your daughter…”

This month marks the 25^th anniversary of THE OTHERS. 

 

THE OTHERS was a psychological and gothic horror film set in WWII 1945, where a woman and her two photosensitive children (cannot be exposed to light of any kind), begin to experience apparent supernatural happenings in their home after the arrival of new servants. 

 

The film was directed by acclaimed Chilean-Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, who wrote the film, and composed the score. The cast was led by Nicole Kidman, and she was joined by Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley, Eric Sykes, Elaine Cassidy, and Keith Allen. Filming locations included Madrid and the Palacio de los Hornillos mansion in Spain. 

 

On release, THE OTHERS received excellent reviews and was a box office hit. At the Goya Awards (the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars, honoring Spanish films), it would clean house; winning Best Film and Director. Elsewhere, Kidman would be nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. 

 

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With a foreboding atmosphere, creepy lighting (sometimes only by candlelight), a career-best performance from Kidman, and a twist ending that makes us want to re-watch the film right away to spot the clues…THE OTHERS is one of the best horror films of this millennium. Amenabar creates a world of unsettling silence and isolation that creeps us out as much as it does fascinate. As a haunted house story, its clever ending (and premise), turns the old ghost stories on their heads, giving reasons for the haunting such as love and longing. A masterclass in horror, acting, and filmmaking. 

 

“This house is ours…”

A Reel Opinion: The Scholar vs. The Filmmaker

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of THE ODYSSEY, the famed epic poem by Homer, has been the talk of the town. It has earned big box office, critical acclaim, and awards season favor. It has been praised, criticized, over-praised, and over-criticized by critics, scholars, keyboard warriors, and students of Homer’s works. 

 

One notable critic of Nolan’s film is Emily Wilson, whose 2017 translation was cited by Nolan as an inspiration for his film. Wilson, who is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, recently reviewed the film and was not kind (you can read her comments HERE). While everyone has an entitled opinion, Wilson’s status as an expert in the field of Homer and her own work puts her in a unique position to fire arrows, but just like the Trojans at Troy, she overlooks her opposition. 

 

Let this Blogger preface the next paragraph by praising Wilson’s translation. It is an outstanding read, educational, easy to understand and follow, and the fact that it is done in an iambic parameter style is most-impressive. Wilson is an expert in her field, probably unmatched…but she did an adaptation of the work just like Nolan did. Wilson, as she writes in her introduction, made decisions in her translation for a better reading experience. She editorialized, edited, moved words around; just like a filmmaker does when they write their script, shoot their actors, and edit their films. Wilson and Nolan are in the same horse, both making adaptations of a work they admire. Her comments, while possibly valid, come off as a stance of “my adaptation is better than your adaptation”. Not to mention she’s biting the hand that feeds; copies of her book are reportedly flying off the shelves since the release of THE ODYSSEY. 

 

Emily Wilson knows a lot about Homer and The Odyssey. Probably more than anyone alive. But she seems to know little about filmmaking. Filmmakers make decisions for a great cinematic experience, just like a writer may do for a great book. This Blogger is in awe of Wilson’s work, and in Nolan’s. If there is ever a time where the two of them want to meet with swords drawn to settle their differences, I will gladly host in my back yard. Or maybe they are destined to sail their own ways. 

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Read Reel Speak’s review of THE ODYSSEY HERE

Read Reel Speak’s take on the importance of reading the book after the movie HERE

 

 

A Reel Preview - The Year in Film 2026: Episode VIII

July is over, and it was one of the biggest blockbuster months in history, with THE ODYSSEY and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY making major bank. Both films will probably continue to earn strongly through August, as this month is low on expected high-earners, but it does have a strong roster of films. Also in August we have re-releases for WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER (25^th anniversary), TRAIN TO BUSAN (10^thanniversary), LA LA LAND (10^th anniversary), THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (25^th anniversary), and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (35^th anniversary). Here now are the notable releases on the big screen for the final month of the Summer Movie Season, 2026: 

 

 

ICE CREAM MAN – Horror director Eli Roth (HOSTEL, CABIN FEVER), directs this slasher film where a mysterious ice cream man serves cold treats that turn kids into homicidal maniacs. 

 

 

ONE NIGHT ONLY – In this romantic comedy, the government passes a mandate stating sex can only be shared between married couples with the exception of one night a year, when it becomes a free-for-all. 

 

 

SUPER TROOPERS 3 – The famed Broken Lizard comedy team re-assembles for this sequel to SUPER TROOPERS 2 from 2018. This time the Troopers work to break up a drug ring and save the wedding of one of their own. 

 

 

THE BRINK OF WAR – Jeff Daniels plays Ronald Reagan, and Jared Harris plays Mikhail Gorbachev in this drama about the infamous Reykjavik Summit of 1986. J.K. Simmons co-stars. 

 

 

THE END OF OAK STREET – Strange happenings, including dinosaurs, descend upon a quiet neighborhood. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star.  

 

 

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER – In this sixth installment of the INSIDIOUS horror franchise, a young woman who can communicate with spirits is suddenly haunted by evil forces. 

 

 

MUTINY – Jason Statham stars in this shoot-em-up aboard a cargo ship. Annabelle Wallis co-stars. 

 

 

COYOTE VS. ACME – In this live-action/animated hybrid that was controversially scrapped in 2023 and now brought back to life, Wile E. Coyote takes the Acme Corporation to court for selling him faulty products. 

 

 

THE DOG STARS – Famed director Sir Ridley Scott returns with this sci-fi film, set in the days after a deadly flu pandemic has wiped out most of humanity. The cast includes Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews September.