4. THE OTHERS (2001)

Not the greatest ghost story in horror film, but certainly one of the most iconic, The Others utilises Gothic iconography (creepy old house, fog on the grounds, gravestones) to tell a traditional tale of ghostly goings on.

Like all good ghost stories, The Others uses its ghosts to represent other things, but to go too deeply into just what that means would be to spoil the plot. Starring Nicole Kidman as Grace, a devotedly religious mother of two children inflicted with a rare condition that makes them allergic to sunlight, the movie captures an old-fashioned style while being altogether very modern in its approach.

The ending may be one of the most broadcasted twists in all of film history but knowing it doesn’t dampen the impact the film has (although, if you happen not to know it then it’s definitely worth going in blind). It cleverly subverts expectations while adhering to the rules we’ve come to expect from a traditional ghost story.

If you’re new to horror The Others gives you an idea of what to expect from the ghost sub-genre while still finding a way to tell a clever and emotionally resonant standalone story in its own right.

IF YOU LIKED THIS: The Innocents, The Haunting, The Entity, The Orphanage, The Woman In Black