8 Best Misdirections In Horror Movies

7. They Are Actually 'The Others' - The Others

When done right, there are few things as enjoyable for horror fans as a classic ghost story. And in 2001's The Others, audiences got just that - only with a notable twist on the usual formula.

In The Others, Nicole Kidman plays Grace Stewart, a family matriarch living with her two children in a lavish country house in the aftermath of World War II. For Grace, it soon becomes apparent that she and her family aren't the only ones occupying the house, however, and more and more eerie goings-on begin to take place.

Despite Alejandro Amenábar's movie clearly positioning it as there being some spooky, sinister presence in the Stewart household, the film's final act take the audience in an opposing direction to the one they'd previously been led on.

Instead of Grace and her children being the inhabitants of the house, it is actually they who are 'the others' that are haunting the property - this realisation coming after the reveal that Grace had previously smothered her children to death before then taking her own life.

The Others is one of the most stylish horrors of its time, and even now in hindsight maybe doesn't get quite the love it deserves. And while it's often a phenomenal, award-winning Nicole Kidman performance that the film is best known for, the clear, steered misdirection of the central story deserves just as much praise.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.

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