Orphan (2009)

[MattFini]

Title: Orphan

Tagline: Can you keep a secret?

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Margo Martindale, Karel Roden, Aryana Engineer, Rosemary Dunsmore, Jamie Young, Lorry Ayers, Brendan Wall, Genelle Williams, Mustafa Abdelkarim, Landon Norris, Julien Elia, Leni Parker, Gemma James Smith, Pia Ajango, Matthew Raudsepp, Sugith Varughese, Luis Olivia, Ferelith Young, Andrew Shaver

Release: 2009-07-24

Runtime: 123

Plot: After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.

I saw this the other night on a whim and I'll be damned if it didn't turn out to be the best studio horror film in years (for me, since 2007's The Mist).

Unlike many of today's genre releases, Orphan spends a substantial amount of time getting us to care about our characters. It depicts them as real adults with real marital problems and our two leads, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgard are absolutely fantastic in their roles.

Once things get underway, the film builds suspense masterfully. There are some brutal and bloody moments, but the focus on this film remains on tension and it worked perfectly.

Like most good horror films, this one seems to be having a tough time at the box office. The audience I saw it with seemed to really enjoy it, so I'm hoping that word of mouth can keep this one around a bit longer. It's very well done and deserves to be met with a little success.

If you're looking for a good, suspenseful horror film, check out Orphan. Probably my favorite film of the summer (and maybe even of 2009 so far).

Highly recommended.

 

[TravisR]

I saw Orphan last weekend and was pleasantly surprised too. I hate the completely unscary "Evil Kid" subgenre so I wasn't expecting much but this movie was pretty solid overall.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "Orphan". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread.

Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning!

If you need to discuss those type of issues then I have designated an Official Discussion Thread.



Crawdaddy

 

[Joe Karlosi]

***
Let me echo the group who felt this was a very pleasant surprise. It was one of the best new horror films I've seen in awhile, and I went into it pretty much expecting the same old "evil child" cliche movie. The acting is first-rate, it's scary and intense, and there is actually some character development on display here, along with a pretty neat twist. Recommended for horror fans, especially those who've largely given up on newer fright films.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Dark Castle Entertainment is making another movie in this franchise, set prior to the 2009 original. William Brent Bell is directing.

The crazy thing: Isabelle Fuhrman, who was 11 years old and 4-foot-5 when she filmed the original movie, is reprising her role as Esther despite being a 5-foot-3 23-year-old now. Per Deadline, "filmmakers are utilizing a combination of forced perspective shooting and a world-class makeup team" to turn back the clock.

Julia Stiles will also star.

 

[EricSchulz]

This was one of those “I’ll watch it at some point“ movies. After watching the series on Natalia Grace a friend mentioned the similarities to this movie. Like everyone here, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. There’s an actual STORY being told, there’s real suspense and some great performances. If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend it.