In 1945 on a remote Channel Island, Grace and her two children live in a large house in the middle of nowhere. Her husband, Charles, has been missing since he left to fight in the second world war, and their servants seem to have disappeared in the night. When three strangers appear one morning claiming to be their replacements and that they have worked in that house before, strange things begin to happen to the family.
Even though this movie is 19 years old, I still don’t want to spoil it in case you don’t know the ending. So consider this a spoiler free review. I remember when the movie was released and when I first saw it. People talked about it for a long time and praised it for its twist ending, just like The Sixth Sense. Even though it was really popular for the first few years, I feel like it’s been forgotten and ignored in recent years. I don’t see them on horror movie lists so much.
Nicole Kidman gives a memorable performance as Grace. It’s one of my favourites of hers (alongside Practical Magic, Grace of Monaco, and The Hours). You can gradually see her descend into paranoia and fear as things appear to get spookier in the house.
The most remembered and talked about scene is when Grace’s daughter, Anne, is possessed by an old woman. It’s actually creepy to see an old woman in the dress with the child’s voice. You see the old lady hand playing with the marionette puppet, and then the big reveal.
Another disturbing moment that people seem to remember is the Victorian mourning portraits that Grace finds. This is a practice that has been utilised for centuries, starting with paintings, then evolving into photographs. A recently deceased person would be photographed (or painted) in order to honour their memory and for the family to have something to remember them by. This was especially usual for infants, as their deaths were more common and the parents would get to have a photographic image of the child they have lost. Even though there is meaning behind this practice, it’s a sinister thing to see.
This feels like a classic haunted house story despite its young age. The large house and the restrictions of locking one door before opening another causes chaos during tense moments. The absence of electricity is also a large part of the atmosphere as there is a lot of silence and the only lights in the constant darkness come from candles, which makes the film setting feel even older. This is definitely one of my favourites in the subgenre.
Where to watch: Justwatch
Linsey Loves Horror 