Grace, played by Nicole Kidman, and her two children live in a sprawling mansion in the 1940s, which is located on the Isle of Jersey. The children suffer from a rare condition that requires them to avoid sunlight, and as a result, the house is kept in darkness. The household routine is very structured, with curtains being pulled and doors being locked during the day, and Grace only allowing her children outdoors at night.
The family's world starts to turn upside down when they begin to experience strange and unexplainable occurrences around the house. Grace starts to hear footsteps, doors being slammed shut, and the sound of people whispering. She initially brushes off these incidents, thinking that her children are playing pranks on her, but as they continue to occur, Grace becomes more and more worried.
Things take a turn when three strangers arrive at the house, claiming to be the new staff that Grace had hired. The family tries to adjust to their presence, but things continue to spiral out of control. As the haunting intensifies, Grace becomes convinced that the house is inhabited by ghosts and hires a medium in a desperate attempt to communicate with the spirits.
Although initially dismissed as a gothic horror flick, The Others is a smart and ambitious film that deftly explores themes of grief, faith, and the anxieties of parenthood. It is unpredictable, clever, and ultimately deeply moving.