Other 2025 Movie Review
Other is a patient thriller that looks at beauty and motherhood. Alice (Olga Kurylenko, Thunderbolts*) returns to her childhood home after hearing of her estranged mother’s death. Not long after arriving she begins to look back on her childhood. It is filled with painful memories, made all the more difficult by the strange occurrences that begin to happen.
The film is carried by Kurylenko. Alice is a take no nonsense person who is constantly telling people what she wants in no uncertain terms. This was a smart decision as writing the character in any other manner (constantly frightened or worried is normal in this genre) would have made Other a more difficult watch. The story is filled with moments that Alice has no control over. Giving her a strong personality makes her an active participant and not just a prop. There are certainly moments when Alice is overwhelmed, but the performance of Kurylenko never makes her feel helpless.
This is especially important since she is the only noteworthy character in the movie. Boyfriend Charlie (Phillip Schurer) uses all of his screen time to annoy the audience while a mysterious person introduced in the opening moments is never as fleshed out as they should be. Alice’s mother is the second most important character, but she is limited to old footage.
The pacing is very interesting. The film is character study that only gives so much information about its lead. Basically, her mother was hard on her and she left because of it. There is tension and some scares, but neither ever takes over. Even the overall mystery is never enough to fully engage the audience.
Still, there is just enough of everything. The parts involving Alice’s mother are sad and the shots of the shadowy creature are frightening. Perhaps because it gives away so little, people watching will try to figure out what is going on. The climax does not deliver the shock it is going for, unfortunately. It is a fine idea, but there are a few too many plot holes for it to work. And since everything is played straight, it is impossible to lean into the wackiness of the situation. That being said, it is an entertaining watch.
