Movie Review: “Orphan”
Sunday, July 26, 2009 at 3:14PM | By Franck Tabouring 
Seen on: July 26, 2009
The players: Director: Jaume Collet-Serra, Writer: David Johnson, Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett
Facts of interest: Jaume Collet-Serra also directed "Goal II: Living the Dream."
The plot: A couple decides to adopt a child after the death of their baby daughter. Unfortunately, the girl they pick hides a terrible secret.
Our thoughts: There’s a new evil kid on the block, and wow, is she hardcore. Esther is her name, and you can discover her wickedness in Jaume Collet-Serra’s horror thriller “Orphan,” a so-so big-screen experience that delivers decent enough entertainment despite several flaws that are far more ridiculous than they are suspenseful.
In the film, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard star as Kate and John Coleman, who decide to adopt a young child after the tragic loss of their baby daughter. The girl they pick up at a local orphanage is Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a smart 9-year-old who seems like a shy, well-mannered kid enjoying her peace and solitude.
Things, however, quickly begin to change, and Esther’s behavior grows weirder and weirder. What follows is a series of unfortunate and shocking events that will pull the Colemans into their most terrifying nightmare ever. Clearly, there’s something wrong with Esther, but what the heck could it be?
The answer to this question is definitely the best thing about this film. “Orphan” comes with a pretty surprising twist, but sadly enough, it takes the plot a tad too long to get there. Collet-Serra’s flick is by no means boring, but I admit it’s by far not as suspenseful as I thought it’d be.
Writing about a film like this without revealing too much is always a challenge, so I will keep this short. What I liked about “Orphan” was its global atmosphere, which kicks off gently and gradually transforms into a much darker mood. Unfortunately, cheap shock effects are abundant in the movie as well, and more often than not, they failed to scare me.
Esther’s changing behavior is clearly the most intriguing thing to follow in this film, and luckily, actress Isabelle Fuhrman delivers a fantastic performance as the evil kid with a frightening secret. Most of her actions and reactions are way over-the-top (and at times even comic) of course, but her sinister look and threatening voice make for some intense scenes.
Pretty much everything else in “Orphan” is forgettable, and the remaining characters in the film suffer from a lack of logic. Also, as I mentioned before, don’t expect utter suspense of ultra-violence here. You’ll get your dose of blood, but that’s it. Don’t take the kids of course, and don’t expect to find anything innovative here.
Freaky quote: "I don't think Mommy likes me very much. It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own." – Isabelle Fuhrman
The final word: “Orphan” is a better horror film than many other recent ones of the same genre. A great cast and an okay twist make this one a watchable experience, as long as you’re more than willing to suspend your disbelief and simply want to have some fun watching a freaky girl cause a whole lot of trouble. Sure, you can give this one a try.
Article by Franck Tabouring
Reader Comments (5)
this movie is the most sickening, most repulsive peace of shit that Ive ever seen. If you were to watch this movie and enjoy it to the slightest, that would mean you are disturbed. you are a f***** lunatic if you enjoy little kids trying to brutally murder each other or if you like seeing the pain and agony real people feel. To break it down for you this movie is a SUCK ASS LOUSEY PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't even know where to begin. From the start of this movie, right till the end...my heart was pounding...literally POUNDING. This movie was Very sick and twisted in so many different ways, yet i still liked it. I could tell my boyfriend was frightened as he was squeezing my hand during some parts of the movie. And the gentleman beside was having a panic attack...weird... If i was to rent this movie and watch it by myself, i would have turned it off half way through... no word of a lie. I recommend you watch this movie with someone you feel comfortable, safe and protected with...because it really does freak the crap out of you. I defineately did not want to sleep that night after i watched it. Its some serious freaky stuff
when people think of a girl named ester, they think a sweet kind, young girl, but the ester in orphan was disturbed. when i saw this movie, i could not help but cringe at some of the parts, for instance, when she killed the nun with a hammer, also, when she stabbed the husbund cuase he would not suduce her. the movie also has alot of uncomfortable parts to, like the part when she wanted to play russian roulette with the little girl. so here it is, if you are a fan of disturbing, and very bloody movies, then go, if not then dont go see orphan, youll probaly walk out.
THIS MOVIE IS SO SCARY. I COULDNT SLEEP THE NIGHT I SAW IT. FROM THE START IT WAS FREAKY. IF YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE. DON'T TAKE YOUNG CHILDREN TO SEE IT THIS MOVIE WILL HAVE A LASTING AFFECT ON THEM. THE TWIST WAS WHAT MADE THE MOVIE SO CRAZY.
This movie is a load of rubbish. I watched halfway through and went on Wikipedia to read the rest. What a load of horse shit. Ester... if I see you walking I'm going to knock your ass to the ground, you 33 year old imp.