Orphan

[Lazy Boy]

http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/b/4/T/orphanposter.jpg

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Written by David Johnson (story by Alex Mace)

Genre: Horror/thriller

Plot: A husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be.

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder

Rated R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language.

Runtime: 123 minutes

Collet-Serra's version of House of Wax was pretty good, at least from a set design standard. Stripped of that, he has to do a good job selling the "secret" (yes, I spoiled it for myself), which can either make audiences roll on the floor or get spooked. Me, I'm sensing a classic old school '70's horror vibe, even if the buzz will eventually sink the film.

[ilovemovies]

After reading what the "twist" is, I think I can honestly say that this will be the funniest comedy of the year.

[Bourne101]

I haven't read the twist and don't plan on it. I think the movie looks a bit silly, and there are very few films with a similar plot that are actually good, but I will probably check it out.

[echo_bravo]

Yeah, I gave in and read the twist as well, I still will be seeing this.

Oh and the poster for this film is FREAKY. I dont think I will be buying it anytime soon. Yikes:eek:

[MidnightAngel]

Lame ripoff from The Good Son.

[echo_bravo]

Lame ripoff from The Good Son.

Actually from what I hear...its not at all.

[hoojib127]

Vera Farmiga in ANOTHER 'creepy child thriller' after 2007's "Joshua"? :confused:

Well, this looks a good deal broader than that film was...thus, likely not as good.

[daddiefatsacks]

i read the twist, no fucking way thats true! lol

[Bourne101]

Vera Farmiga in ANOTHER 'creepy child thriller' after 2007's "Joshua"? :confused:

I kind of dug Joshua. It didn't go all supernatural on us, or try to make up some wild explanation for the boys problems. If I remember correctly he was simply just a fucked up little kid with a twisted mind. The ending was also incredibly bleak and awesome.

[BakeTheMooCow]

I read the twist too and it is awful and there is no way I'm watching it. But I've been seeing trailers for this for months and the 'Esther has a secret' campaign is effective, so I think this might have a big opening weekend.

[echo_bravo]

There is a Facebook group boycotting this film. Nearly 5,000 members wow.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89245522820

[magicwizguy]

I think I heard about the twist. I hope it isn't true, even though I think it's a good one. I can't believe people find the twist stupid. It's ingenious and so obvious after you've heard it. I mean, it's there! It's in front of our eyes! Cheap, silly twist? Nope. Ingenious twist? Hell yes! I'm planning to watch this film not only because of the surprising favorable reviews the film is garnering but because of the following:

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Audiences+scream+I sabelle+Fuhrman+Orphan/1809722/story.html

Specifically, this part:

After all, Orphan is proving to be more than merely scary. Preview screenings have left many moviegoers terrified and screaming in fear at the screen. And, once the movie is finally over and has delivered its final frightening plot twist, they're reluctant to leave the multiplex and head for the parking lot.

[magicwizguy]

Yes! Roger Ebert gave this a 3.5/4!!! http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090722/REVIEWS/907229993

[Fancyclaps]

I don't get the hate for the twist, either. I thought it was ingenious...maybe it has something to do with reading what the twist is out of context, because I read the script and it came off very well. I really enjoyed the script and am glad this movie is getting basically all postive reactions from audiences and an average response from critics.

The ad campaign isn't too great and I feel like most people on the internet will hate all over Orphan without even seeing it (it already has been going on).

My one problem with this film is that they changed something at the very end that wasn't in the script.







MAJOR SPOILERS
the thing they changed was....



making the little boy survive the attack by Esther, instead of her killing him.












END SPOILERS

[ilovemovies]

It's got 46% in the tomatoe meter in rottentomatoes.com. While that's better than I was expecting, it's still not exactly good either.

[magicwizguy]

It's got 46% in the tomatoe meter in rottentomatoes.com. While that's better than I was expecting, it's still not exactly good either.

46% is fantastic for a horror movie. You know what horror movies get 60%+? Stephen King adaptations and foreign horror movies, with an exception of like Quarantine and My Bloody Valentine in 3D. Horror movies like The Ruins and The Strangers reach the 40s-50s%.

[g1ng3rsnap9ed]

The twist-ending is...what? I just looked it up and what I got on Yahoo Answers is pretty off-putting, and not in a good way. I was semi-excited for this (it'd be nice to get a good Horror film every now-and-again, but nowadays that seems like too much to ask for.), but this twist just sounds ridiculous.

MAJOR SPOILERS
the thing they changed was....



making the little boy survive the attack by Esther, instead of her killing him.












END SPOILERS
:rolleyes: Of course, stupid Hollywood and their "safe" Horror.

[Tweek]

LOL g1ngy...I like that you know the twist and still call it safe horror. Her backstory is very disturbing and I wouldn't consider it 'safe' territory.

I'll probably watch the movie on DVD.

[g1ng3rsnap9ed]

LOL g1ngy...I like that you know the twist and still call it safe horror. Her backstory is very disturbing and I wouldn't consider it 'safe' territory.

I'll probably watch the movie on DVD.
Well, they (SPOILERS!!) let the kid live (END SPOILERS), and if they're too scared to do that, then it sounds like safe-horror to me. In horror, the audience should never know what is going to happen, or they know what's going to happen and are supposed to dread it...but not dread what's coming because it's cliche and happy. I may watch this on dvd also, but it definitely does NOT sound like a theatrical experience worth attending.

[visual_tension]

Great. After trying to avoid finding out the twist, I accidentally caught one word of the spoilers posted here and now I know...I think.

Oh well. I'll still be seeing this.

[g1ng3rsnap9ed]

If you're refering to the Spoiler in my Post, that's not the twist, it's just a bull-crap cliche Hollywood safeguard, to make this film more appropriate for the American family audience.

[visual_tension]

I was referring to Fancyclaps' post, but I went back for a quick glance and I misinterpreted it. Initially, I just saw one word and made a connection to the ribbon the girl wears around her neck. But I guess that was wrong so it's all good.

[magicwizguy]

Nice! ORPHAN is climbing up there on Rotten Tomatoes! Currently stands at 54% right now!

[Tweek]

If you're refering to the Spoiler in my Post, that's not the twist, it's just a bull-crap cliche Hollywood safeguard, to make this film more appropriate for the American family audience.


It's rated R.

Plus, part of Esther's back story is that was sexually abused by her father and forced into prostitution. That's appropriate for an American family audience?

Honestly, I still don't get your logic about it being safe just because they don't kill the kid.








END SPOILERS

[Fancyclaps]

It's rated R.

Plus, part of Esther's back story is that was sexually abused by her father and forced into prostitution. That's appropriate for an American family audience?

Honestly, I still don't get your logic about it being safe just because they don't kill the kid.








END SPOILERS



SPOILERS SPOILERS








I certianly get his logic. From what I hear by way of test screening reactions, Esther "kills" the boy like she does in the script; by suffocating him in the hospital. Apparantly in the movie it's heavily implied she kills him because reviews say audiences were shocked and stunned when it happened(as was I when I read the script, it is so unexpected that the image stays with you). However in the movie, they throw in a line at the very end saying the boy did in fact survive. This just shows you that the studio had NO guts to stick with the original ending. Honestly, in how many movies does the little innocent boy like that die? (I'm not a huge movie horror fan, but I can't really remember any). However I've definately seen movies where the villain was sexually abused, or it was implied they were (One Hour Photo comest to mind). Esther killing the boy made the movie very fresh in my mind, and also made me wonder what the hell could She do in the last 20 minutes of the movie if she just killed off the son and got away with it.

I'm actually incredibly upset with the change (maybe moreso than I should be) and I almost don't want to see the movie in the theater just because of it (but I probably still will).






END SPOILERS

[Tweek]

I can see why the change would be irritating, but what I'm not getting is the 'appropriate for an American family audience' comment what with other subject matter in the movie.

[Henry Lee Lucas]

All my friends really dug the movie which was surprising. Really, theres nothing wrong with the flick. I have nothing great to say about it and nothing bad, it was exactly what I thought it was going to be (i also knew the twist). Really I guess i'm happy that it wasnt pg13, didnt pull any cop-outs, in the end it was a good, straight forward horror flick.


But whoa did now know that was the original ending and that totally couldve worked, it was just a line of dialogue that let you know he was ok.

Too much cgi though, not only do we have a LOT of cgi blood, we have a LOT of cgi..snow...?yea.


edit AND spoiler




yea they REALLY give the impression that hes dead, they zoom in on his eyes as his pupils dilate. I still have DeadnBuried in the back of my mind, i was hoping she went with the hypodermic needle.
Now that daybreakers trailer, talk about a great idea. 13 more horror flicks this year.

[g1ng3rsnap9ed]

SPOILERS SPOILERS








I certianly get his logic. From what I hear by way of test screening reactions, Esther "kills" the boy like she does in the script; by suffocating him in the hospital. Apparantly in the movie it's heavily implied she kills him because reviews say audiences were shocked and stunned when it happened(as was I when I read the script, it is so unexpected that the image stays with you). However in the movie, they throw in a line at the very end saying the boy did in fact survive. This just shows you that the studio had NO guts to stick with the original ending. Honestly, in how many movies does the little innocent boy like that die? (I'm not a huge movie horror fan, but I can't really remember any). However I've definately seen movies where the villain was sexually abused, or it was implied they were (One Hour Photo comest to mind). Esther killing the boy made the movie very fresh in my mind, and also made me wonder what the hell could She do in the last 20 minutes of the movie if she just killed off the son and got away with it.

I'm actually incredibly upset with the change (maybe moreso than I should be) and I almost don't want to see the movie in the theater just because of it (but I probably still will).






END SPOILERS

This is exactly what I mean. I just think that what they did to the ending is going to dull down a lot of the film's impact, and may even hold it back from being different from any other kiddie-slasher movie. (I mean with children doing the killing, not kiddie-safe.) Perhaps on the Unrated dvd it'll change...

[Bourne101]

Orphan - 7/10 (some spoilers, but not regarding the twist)

Many films like this have been done before. Parents adopt a kid, kids ends up being crazy, does some crazy shit, etc. Orphan starts out that way, but I was very impressed when it got VERY, VERY grim. I will agree that I think the fate of the boy should have been left with the final shot of him after he is smothered, and that would have made it even that much better, but even with that line that lets you know that he is alright, the film is still VERY bleak, grim and dark. Ebert was right, characters like Damien from The Omen are fucking angels compared to Esther. I don't think I've ever seen a child character on film commit such fucking brutal and heinous acts. Really, besides the line that reveals the boy is still alive, this movie is balls to the fuckin' wall. It went places that most films do not have the balls to do. The film features great performances from all cast members. Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard are very good as the parents, Jimmy Bennett and Aryana Engineer are very good as the kids, and Isabelle Fuhrman is brilliant as the stone cold child that ranks at the top of the list of creepy and fucked up child characters. The story itself unfolds very well. The solid two hour runtime gives plenty of time for fantastic character development, smooth plot development and sets it up well for the extremely weird and fucked up climax that on paper just seems silly, yet for some reason I found it to be quite unsettling and creepy when put in context. I'm glad I didn't know the twist going in. So overall, Orphan is a very fucked up, grim and brutal film that, while not particularly scary, keeps you always feeling very uneasy and often packs some very powerful punches. The ending is sure to divide audiences, but at the time I was watching it, I found it to be pretty damn creepy. I'll need to see this again to see if it's as good as I thought it was on the first watch, but at this point I think it is quite a good film.

[Bourne101]

This is exactly what I mean. I just think that what they did to the ending is going to dull down a lot of the film's impact, and may even hold it back from being different from any other kiddie-slasher movie. (I mean with children doing the killing, not kiddie-safe.) Perhaps on the Unrated dvd it'll change...

While the impact is dulled down a bit by the boy being alive in the end, there are so many other brutal and grim moments in the film that it really does separate itself from other kiddie-slasher movies. There really are no other films that I can think of involving fucked up kids that go to the brutal lengths that Orphan does.

[jz68]

I really enjoyed this. I went into it not knowing the spoiler and I'm glad I did as it was truly one of the best WTF moments I've ever had during a movie. The kid who played Esther gave an outstanding performance especially considering she's only 12 years old. A few shocking moments and a whole bunch of "oh no she didn't" moments added up to a pretty good movie.

8/10

[SchizoidManiac]

I'm going to go see it today, hopefully. But I was thinking the same thing when I first saw her in the movie, another crazy kid movie...but I really liked Joshua too. So I hope I enjoy the movie...


Vera Farmiga in ANOTHER 'creepy child thriller' after 2007's "Joshua"? :confused:

[Bourne101]

Some friends wanted to see it tonight, so I went again. Pretty glad I did. Holds up very well on the re-watch and it really shows how well the filmmakers pieced everything together to prepare for the climax. A twist I didn't know going in, a twist I couldn't even come close to guessing during the movie, yet there are plenty of brilliant and subtle clues scattered throughout. Yeah, the climax is still a bit weird regardless, but it works.

[anakinsrise]

Add a little menace named Esther to the long list of psychopathic kid characters in movies.In the latest psycho kid flick Orphan ,we find Vera Farmiga as Kate Coleman portraying a emotionally drained mother,with a crazy kid,( remember her in the flick Joshua (2007) if not rent it) except this time the kids adopted.Along with her hubby John Coleman(Peter Sarsgaard) they hope to fill a void left by a loss by adopting a little girl they meet Esther(Isabelle Fuhrman)who's an imaginative artist,polite,and so mature for her age.But they totally ingnore she doesnt play with the other children,and she dresses like she just stepped out of a Mark Twain novel.
So they bring Esther home and everything is fine at first she interacts with her new bro and deaf sis,Daniel(Jimmy Bennett)and Max (Aryana Engineer) but Daniel is immediately suspicious but Max is overjoyed to have a big sis.But of course all hell will soon break loose
I must warn you if you cant tolerate seeing kids in peril like the young lady sitting next to me in the theatre, who must have exclaimed AWWWW!! about a thousand times during the flick,this is not the movie for you.
Isabelle Fuhrman is amazing Esther,downright creepy to the core her threats and mannerisms throughout the film should lead most to discover Esther's secret before the film reaches its last reel. I knew the big secret going in but was very entertained throughout the film.Its cliched and there are multiple endings,throwing in every thing but the kitchen sink towards the end of the film,even the villain that takes a licking but keeps on tickin cliche.
Some of the serious scenes are laughable and you have to question some of the situations.
I suggest seeng this flick with a crowd,it will definitely further your enjoyment of it
Scale of 1-10 an 8

[KcMsterpce]

REVIEW:
A movie like this has most of the success or failure reside on the shoulders of the child actor. When Macaulay Culkin took center stage in The Good Son, the only real "surprise" of such a role was that the Home Alone kid says "fuck" and is a killer. When you go beyond that, the movie doesn't do much to carve a niche of individuality or great storytelling.
Isabelle Fuhrman makes a major role debut with Orphan, and I must say that she blows most any other child actor performance out of the water. She does seem to harness within her some kind of older, adult-like persona in some scenes that make her appear way beyond her own age. This 9 year old Esther that grabs the heart of Kate and John upon their first meeting certainly has some qualities that go beyond any typical child. Fuhrman doesn't just say the lines to get the message across; there are times when she really is otherworldly. As if she's possessed with a supernatural sense of sinister adult-ism. I'm also very happy this wasn't made 4 years ago, when it most surely would have been played - and ruined - by the worthless bitch Dakota Fanning. Oh, I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't talk that way about a KID. Oops. My bad. I Crossed a Line, didn't I?
Going beyond The Line and crossing over is one of the movie's more notable specialties. It starts right out with an obvious nightmare in which Kate's (the wife) stillborn birth is presented to the audience. It's totally messed up. As Orphan plods along from one messed up scene to the next, it only seems to build steam in the "completely inappropriate" scale as well. By the third act, there was a moment in which the entire theater was laughing, but not because it was just "funny" (usually scenes like that are when I'm the only one in the theater laughing), but because it was so wrong and twisted that the only sense of normalcy anyone could get out of it was by laughter. I'm sure people were happy to laugh with others because if they didn't, they'd feel like they are bad people for even WATCHING such a thing.
Such awkwardness isn't in the subject matter alone, in my opinion. It was driven home and made wholly uncomfortable and twisted by the jarring performance of Isabelle Fuhrman.

There are plenty of problems with Orphan. Where it works in many areas, it also falls behind in others. Take for instance the overblown score, which tries so hard to make mundane and uneventful actions build up into a suspense scene. Kate is in the bathroom and looking in a sliding mirror. What will happen when the mirror slides back again? Oh shit, the music is queuing up for a scare! Any time someone slights Esther, she makes an "evil glare" and the score provides the proper "horror movie" drone of sinister foreshadowing.
Another more significant issue is in how difficult it is for Kate to convince any other adults around her that Esther has some issues. It's part of Esther's plan to push Kate away from her husband and anyone else, but I can't see how NO ONE ELSE is willing to at least give a LITTLE leeway to her concerns. It's part of the movie's need to have things unfold in a predetermined series of events to lead up to the final act, but I don't like when movies try too hard to skirt plausible storytelling for the sake of having things going the way they want the movie to finish.
The other big huge problem I had was when shit is finally spewed across the wall after splattering the proverbial fan, and the "bad guy" is knocked out and/or subdued. Any movie that has the good guys just WALK AWAY FROM THE UNCONSCIOUS KILLER should have them get killed for their retarded act. Orphan falls victim to this amazing act of stupidity, and more than once I wanted the shit to just FINISH and was upset that I had to deal with ten more minutes of cat and mouse before the end credits rolled.

Isabelle Fuhrman is the highlight of Orphan and steals the show. Thanks to her, the movie managed to be entertaining and fucked up both at the same time. That isn't JUST because of her, but she was the reason events worked so effectively. Moreover, the rest of the cast was good with what they had to do (and young James T. Kirk got to piss his pants!). Even though this is just your typical B grade horror movie escapist fluff, it worked as a decent waste of time at the movies.

GRADE: C+

TRIVIA:
When a nun gets killed in the movie (a very minor spoiler that isn't unexpected), the police are asking John and Kate about it. "Do you know who might have done it?"
I said to the person I was watching the movie with, "'Do you have any evidence?'", then I said as if replying, "'none'".
I then said, "because the nun got killed, you see?"
Hardy har har.


I think there's one simple solution to Esther's entire problem:

(*********SPOILER*********)
(highlight)
She's just a severely sexually frustrated woman who is tired of being treated like a child lol
(end spoiler)

[magicwizguy]

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther—this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be.

I just literally came back from a screening of ORPHAN and forgive me, I'm still soaking in what was in the film. Wow. This was a messed up movie. Really, some of the things in here are just flat out wrong and the fact that the filmmakers had the gumption to do what they did, from the twist to the taboos, I applaud them. ORPHAN has what usually most horror movies have, from the music cue waiting to have people jump out of their seats to the character who is clueless from what's going on. I believe the movie is self aware of itself and other horror films and uses that to its advantage to have fun with the cliches. However, what sets this apart from other films is that it pushed the boundaries. After the movie ends, you can't help but have an uncomfortable feeling lingering as you drive home.

But I won't say anymore about what boundaries the film pushed, because that ruins the fun. The film has a running time of barely over two hours, which is longer than most films these days, let alone horror films. Fortunately, this isn't a bad thing because the first half of the film was like a great character study. There is more character development in the first ten minutes of this film compared to all of most other horror movies. I was taken off guard. I appreciated that, making most of the characters people who you would root for.

Surprisingly, there is a lot of dark humor. I laughed out loud more than I thought I would and I'm sure the audience I was with was surprised too. When the film started, the audience was quiet, because they weren't sure how the film will play out. By the end, everyone seemed to have the time of their lives. I know I did. With its shares of dark humor, the film also produces some tense and unsettling scenes. This is mostly due to Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed the remake of HOUSE OF WAX, one of my favorite slashers. He sets everything up nicely, while using sound to make the audience uncomfortable. Be on the look out for him in the future. He has a big career in front of him. I know it.

The film has its strong performances...and I mean from everyone. Even the kids have strong performances, which is saying a lot. I didn't feel annoyed by them. A film like this must be carried well by the evil kid herself, and she absolutely rises to the task. Isabelle Fuhrman does such a fantastic job playing the evil Esther. After saying that, it still feels like an understatement. Remember Damien? You know, the Devil's child? Well, he seems like a nice kid now. The film is also supported by two great leads, played by Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard. Farmiga plays well as the sympathetic mother that nobody but herself believes while Sarsgaard feels like a clueless father and a great one at that.

The film also has a great score composed by John Ottman, along with some nice production values, which give the film a slick look. Overall, if you want to see an evil kid causing havoc, here's the movie. The film mixes the dark humor and tense scenes really well. There's also a twist in the movie towards the end which sets itself apart from other evil kid movies. The twist is not improbable at all, which is a great thing. The film is pure entertainment from beginning to end and it works because of the fantastic Isabelle Fuhrman. I can't praise her enough. Finally, all I have to say is this: Esther is just an evil little kid. Pity, because she's such a great well-mannered artist who can play Tchaikovsky flawlessly. 8/10

[JCPhoenix]

Dug the opening scene and the build-up made me hopeful I was in for a good movie. But as soon as the first death happens, the movie quickly derails into one of those movies where you just want to throttle every character for being so stupid (kind of like Collet-Serra's last movie House of Wax, but at least House of Wax was entertaining enough in other regards that I could forgive it). I felt bad for Sarsgaard in his thankless role (he's been having a terrible year with this, Mysteries of Pittsburgh and In the Electric Mist...at least An Education will end the year on a good note for him) as the most idiotic, selfish husband ever. To the movie's credit, I didn't see the twist coming until quite close to when it is unveiled (and I knew there was going to be one) and it's a good little twist but undermined by the shitty movie surrounding it.

4/10

[Lazy Boy]

7/10

A nasty little piece of work. No, not Esther, but she's no great shakes, either. We've all seen variations of the "bad seed" kid, whether for laughs (Problem Child) or scares (The Good Son). Well, the latter has more laughs than scares, but it was chilling at 10 years old.

The cliches pile up, as they do in films of this ilk; information about Esther's behavior is not divulged til halfway, by the the same person who ignored doing so earlier; a classic maternal line is borrowed from the conclusion of The Ring 2, to no greater effect; yes, some howler lines, but each syllable and vowel is dripping with the writer's poison pen (toxic contempt), and I actually was shocked by what she would say or do next.

Esther gives credence to the phrase, "Raise crows, and they'll claw your eyes out." Cast a talented child in the role, never mind potential issues of exploitation (based on interviews, Fuhrman seems like she's a smart down to earth kid, why condescend to her?). Damien? A choir boy in comparison.

The adults, specifically Saarsgard, have less to do; Farmiga is the sane one whom everyone stupidly assigns their problems on. She's a drunk, she's mentally fucked up, she's negligent...all root problems as to why her husband is basically a putz throughout. He's reveling in this, too much of a pussy hound to realize that what Esther wants, she gets...

It might be a little long at two hours, but Collet-Sera showed with the House of Wax remake and now this that he is adept at atmosphere. He's also a little too enamored with trying to scare you rather than let the fright come from within, like some fetid alien creature ready to burst out of your chest. About three times I counted a particularly cliched "medicine cabinet mirror" device, where the lead slides the door closed, only to reveal somebody standing behind her in the reflection. Bam! It's like if I kept interjecting "Bam!" in between every third word of a sentence. It doesn't work. Bam!

What works: acting, cinematography, staging of certain tense scenes (including one on a child's play fort, with bridges, ladders, and slides...and Esther), and the utter seriousness with with the team trudges through the film's climactic, and much ballyhooed, twist ending. I won't say what it is, but it didn't turn out laughable as I thought upon reading it weeks ago. Excellently executed.

I would recommend the flick in theaters for a crowd experience. Giggles, laughs, a couple of stunned "Oh my God!" utterances, and you have a well done bit of pulpy nonsense.

[Earl Bonds]

Orphan:

Exactly as I expected, pure violence. They had a dope storyline and twist but it seemed like they could of did way more with it. They kinda went down the common thriller path towards the end but the build up was pretty awesome.
Way better than all those piece of shit horror movies that have been coming out lately.


9/10

[bsquared318]

“Orphan” has great potential for being a good scary movie. With the exception of an over-the-top opening scene that is more unsettling and shocking than it is suspenseful or scary, the first hour of the movie focuses on building a story and its characters rather than reverting to cheap thrills and predictable scenarios.

The opening is perhaps one of the most brutal, in-your-face starts to a film in this genre that I have ever seen. Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga of “The Departed”) is pregnant with her third child, and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard) is checking her into the hospital. What follows is some of the most bizarre and grotesque images since “A Clockwork Orange.” We learn that the child was a still-born, the emotional effects of which drove Kate to alcoholism. After her drinking made her daughter Max lose her hearing in an accident, Kate checked herself into therapy.

Some time has passed since then,but it’s not really clear how much time. In fact, the majority of the background information is told piece-meal and out of order, making us yearn for a more understandable timeline of events. Ready to adopt a new child, the Colemans visit a local orphanage, where they form an immediate bond with a nine-year-old Russian gl named Esther that would only happen in a Hollywood horror flick. Three weeks later, Esther goes home with the Colemans. But is it for the better?

Out of the multitudes of wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing children, Isabelle Fuhrman takes her place among the top. She makes Macaulay Culkin’s character in “The Good Son” look like Shirley Temple. Fuhrman has a commanding presence in every scene she’s in, and really is creepy. She stops at nothing to manipulate people to accomplish her own ends, even going as far as breaking her own arm. She bludgeons a nun to death with a hammer, pushes a classmate off the playground jungle-gym, and sets the Coleman’s treehouse on fire, putting their son Daniel in the hospital.

In only his third feature film, director Jaume Collet-Sera does a commendable job of building a strong, layered first half. His unique filming style and camera tricks give a life to the film that helps it stand out from more forgettable films. There are some clichés in this first half, but they are easy to overlook because we are so immersed in the story. I must commend Collet-Sera’s work on the scenes with Max, played by Aryana Engineer. Her IMDB resume states that she has “mild hearing loss,” which is probably why her character was so believable. She relies on sign language to communicate, and the film puts you inside what it is like to be deaf.

I truly was happy to see the elation that the Colemans were experiencing after bringing a new child into their home. I felt sorry for Kate as she struggled with the demons and nightmares of her past that still haunted her, and held strong hope of seeing these and other issues resolved. However, this rare method of filmmaking is abandoned, instead reverting to the all-too-familiar cheap thrills and predictable scenarios that dominate the genre.

Naturally, nobody believes Kate that Esther is a dangerous psychopath. They’d rather believe someone they barely know than someone they’ve known all their life. The last hour of the film is somewhat predictable, relying on shock and gore more than suspense and scare. The majority of the scenes are scary not because of their suspense or nature, but because they are actually subjecting children to these horrible images. For example, Max is forced to watch Esther murder the nun and must help hide the body. These scenarios are redundant, losing their effect because they are used so much.
Furthermore, they don’t really add up when we learn the motivation and reasoning behind Esther’s actions. However, that motivation is quite revolting and out of the blue.
It may have been more effective if the second half of the film had been as carefully written as the first. Whereas the first hour of the film didn’t have one checking their watch, the second half did. We see Kate as a believable character for the first hour of the film, but in the second half we find it hard to believe that she can without any opposition just leave the hospital that sedated her just hours before.

Despite the fact that it isn’t as good as it could have been, “Orphan” still manages to entertain. It did however leave me with a sour taste in my mouth and a queasy feeling in my stomach, but it wasn’t a sign of a successful scare. It wasn’t that the movie might have had an anti-adoption message either, which has led many groups to protest the movie. Rather, it was the fact that I was watching a crazy little girl terrorize an innocent, deaf little girl, forcing her to watch her beat an older woman’s head to a bloody pulp. It was the fact that a nine-year-old girl used crude and vulgar terms for having sex, and at one point dressed up as a seductress. There must be a better way to make a movie that scares us without taking away the innocence of the young actors involved.

5/10

[LordSimen]

This was a great horror flick. What I was surprised about the most was how well I got into all of the characters- They were just so well acted, even the children. Well done flick. 9/10

[The Clif]

i guessed the most idiotic ending H-Wood could come up with in this movie, my guess was so right, saw the ending coming a mile away

[APzombie]

i haven't seen it but was told the surprise ending. Now i really, really want to see it. Ebert gave it ***1/2 stars too. I know it isn't the most popular movie, but i need a good thriller fix.

[LordSimen]

i haven't seen it but was told the surprise ending. Now i really, really want to see it. Ebert gave it ***1/2 stars too. I know it isn't the most popular movie, but i need a good thriller fix.

It's depressing because as much as I loved the movie, I can only imagine how much better it would have been if I had NOT had the ending spoiled for me before goin' in. Sometimes I hate the internet and it's obsession with assholes spoiling everything on purpose for people just to get a laugh. :(

[Tweek]

I think that if I didn't know the twist I wouldn't want to see the movie at all. 'Cause take away that and it looks like a The Good Son or something...

[LordSimen]

I think that if I didn't know the twist I wouldn't want to see the movie at all. 'Cause take away that and it looks like a The Good Son or something...

There's been far more movies of this kind way before The Good Son... I'm actually quite tired of people making that comparison. Was the Bad Seed as bad as The Good Son? Was The Omen as bad as The Good Son? Or is that one shitty movie that everyone for some reasons remembers the only movie this movie could possibly be like?

[Earl Bonds]

It's depressing because as much as I loved the movie, I can only imagine how much better it would have been if I had NOT had the ending spoiled for me before goin' in. Sometimes I hate the internet and it's obsession with assholes spoiling everything on purpose for people just to get a laugh. :(

I almost had it spoiled and I'm glad I didn't. If I knew going in, the movie would of been pretty boring IMO. I like guessing the whole time and being surprised at the end. It all made sense in the end and I love the twist.

[Tweek]

There's been far more movies of this kind way before The Good Son... I'm actually quite tired of people making that comparison. Was the Bad Seed as bad as The Good Son? Was The Omen as bad as The Good Son? Or is that one shitty movie that everyone for some reasons remembers the only movie this movie could possibly be like?

I remember liking The Good Son. I saw it once and a long time ago, though. It was just one example. All I was saying was that without knowing the twist it would seem like a retread of movies like that.

[LordSimen]

I remember liking The Good Son. I saw it once and a long time ago, though. It was just one example. All I was saying was that without knowing the twist it would seem like a retread of movies like that.

Fair enough. :D

[ilovemovies]

The Good Son was awesome! It's my favorite McCauley Culkin performance! :D

[visual_tension]

Best movie I've seen so far this summer. Very creepy and a great performance from Isabelle Fuhrman.

9/10

[3dfan]

This was a great horror flick. What I was surprised about the most was how well I got into all of the characters- They were just so well acted, even the children. Well done flick. 9/10
Agree, acting was very good - and this movie reminded me another thriller with kids - "Good Son"
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love red wine (http://www.wine-it.com/) )

[Dr.Frankenstein]

Very suspenseful and morbid film with a shocking revelation + All the actors in the film delivered!- gr8 late night horror flick ***1/2 (outta 5 stars)

[magicwizguy]

It's sad more people didn't see the film. However, it had some strong legs in the box office.

[MarcoG]

......

[Pentangeli]

I loved this film, not really as a horror, but as a horror-comedy. I'm unsure if the film is unintenional with its humour, but it was certainly a success in that department.

The little girl, Isabelle Fuhrman, had a lot of responsibilty. Not only did she cope, she gave an outstanding performance. Though it must be said she was given a great character and dialogue, so full marks to the writers.

Highly enjoyable. 3/4.

[InvaderZim]

I also just watched it. Well done film. Not scary at all but well done.

[Smiert Spionam]

My friend just randomly put this flick on. WAAAAYYY better than I thought it was gonna be. Definitely a solid thriller all around with a good twist. I only groaned at a few parts here and there, but overall, very enjoyable. Isabelle Fuhrman has a bright future, methinks.

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6663/12orphanbluray.jpg

7/10

[ilovemovies]

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised with this movie as well. The twist sounds really bad when you hear about it, but surprisingly it played out alright in the movie. And much to my surprise, most of the humor of the movie is intentional. And there are some darkly funny moments.

My only complaints is there are times when the movie seems to pull it's punches a little. I'm mainly talking about what happens to one of the major characters in the movie. But otherwise, this is one dark, gutsy movie and it's a lot of fun. I enjoyed the HELL out of it!

7/10