Quite why director Alejandro Amenábar has not made a movie in near seven years is anyone's guess.
The plot:
A war widow named Grace (Nicole Kidman) retreats to a mansion on Jersey at the tail end of the Second World War, the only part of the British Isles to have been successfully invaded by Hitler's Nazi's. She occupies the house with her two children, both of whom suffer from a debilitating affliction, the major symptom of which is acute photosensitivity.
Confined to the house, unable to be touched by daylight, the children insist to their mother that they are not alone in the mansion, that there are Others occupying their living space.
Amenábar crafts a spooky scenario with some conviction, foregoing cheap shocks and frights in favour of a creeping sense of dread that is almost palpable as the movie progresses.
With solid performances from all, even Kidman who, as far as Smell the Cult HQ is concerned, is about as wishy-washy as they get, this is unnerving and deftly handled.
If torture porn is your bag, forget this, as we see nerry a shot of guts or viscera, instead being treated to a building sensation of genuine fear.
A cut above most modern horror, this is both frightening and thought provoking, and only loses a mark for being a touch too drawn out.
Good, solid psychological horror.
4 out of 5
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