Orphan – Review

For all of the adoption centers that have been the source of controversy generated by fears and assumptions, Orphan, doesn’t even compare. I say that not because the film doesn’t earn its audience’s gasps, I’m saying that because after the admittedly tingly over-long 2 hour film, people are just flat out not going to have kids. Horror has always loved taking something seemingly so innocent, and twisting it into something fearful. The “bad seed” or “killer kid” genre, is one such category. The innocence of kids have been a calling card for all that is good in life. Bless those black-hearted folks, who have created terrifying films that make us fear little kids: Village of the Damned, Bad Seed, Devil Times Five, It’s Alive! and, of course, the granddaddy of all killer kid films, The Omen.

What do all of these films have in common? They make you want to never, ever have kids! Why else do you think vasectomies were invented?

Orphan isn’t shy about the genre it inhabits. It uses every little convention and cliché out there in a killer kid film, and does so proudly. With that, the Orphan is pretty generic. Director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax remake) is stylish enough to at least make the script’s formulaic tendencies interesting. It doesn’t save the film, but it does make it a watchable, passable horror movie. Everyone is decent here; Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga, CCH Pounder, all good in their roles. But who stands out is young Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther. She’s damn near terrifying in every aspect. Her mannerisms, her speech, her manipulative ways. Fuhrman takes the role and owns it, like a mature actress would do. Isabelle Fuhrman is a marvel. She really is a bright, intelligent actress. Her Esther is the creepiest female demon seed this side of Patty McCormack. The tag line for the film is “There is something wrong with Esther”, and if the script focused a little more on the creep factor, the overall film would be a more scary film. Instead it uses loud noises and false scares to give you the “boo!”

I won’t ever spoil anything to my dear readers, but the film packs a killer twist that saves it from truly being generic. I think the Orphan succeeds because of this twist. Perhaps keen viewers might get a whiff of it, but you are not thinking it’s going that route. The film presents Esther as being a little girl wise beyond her years, the typical trick these film’s love to do. All I know is that if I ever come across a kid who is smarter than he/she should be for their age, I am running!

The Orphan is a decent, almost above-average horror flick. It follows the bad seed film conventions too closely for my liking at first, then whacks you with a wicked little left hook of a twist, that makes you re-examine the previous hour and a half worth of terror in a new and different light. Is it a radical shift? No, but it does make you feel icky. Orphan doesn’t try to pave new turf, but it’s a solid little killer kid film, that should make the real orphans sad, because of Esther, nobody will want to take a chance on adopting them.  Adoption centers rest easy. For the near future, you’ll have plenty of work taking care of these kids. Doctors, though, get ready. Vasectomies and abortions could increase.

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