We have all seen our fair share of creepy little child, ring-around-the-rosy, pocket-not-so-posy, “aren’t you glad that is not your kid” films in our generation. There is the Spawn of Satan youngster who terrorizes everyone around him, the ghostly schoolgirl with unfinished business and those little bastards who use their angst-driven supernatural powers to wreak havoc on those around them. However, if you’ve been craving something truly original, “The Orphan” is a gift from the horror movie gods – or rather, demons.
Not only is there something wrong with Esther, as the mediocre trailers have been suggesting, but that something is as unpredictable as Bruce Willis was in “The Sixth Sense” or Nicole Kidman in “The Others.” Without a doubt, “The Orphan” is one to add to the horror collection along with zombie favorites like “28 Days Later” and ghostly haunts such as “The Sixth Sense.”
In fact, audiences were so deeply involved in the film as it progressed from one disturbing turn to the next that people shouted precautions to the protagonists as others covered their eyes in disbelief at simple plot twists. From the heart-wrenchingly disturbing opening scene to the final haunting frame, “The Orphan” simply delivers.
After the devastating loss of an unborn baby girl, parents Kate (Vera Farmiga, “Nothing But the Truth”) and John (Peter Sarsgaard, “Rendition”) Coleman finally decide to fill the empty spot in their family by adopting an orphaned child. Enter Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), an angel with jet black hair, an adorable Russian accent and the wardrobe of an American Girl doll. Not only is Esther quiet, articulate and an amazing artist, but she does not seem like a creep when Kate and John first lay eyes on her at the orphanage. With her appreciative attitude and her sparkling smile, Esther actually does seem like the missing piece in John and Kate’s perfect world. If only they had chosen a different kid.
As Esther’s new mommy, Farmiga knocks it out of the park yet again. Underrated and underappreciated as an actress, Farmiga brings to each of her roles an authenticity and subtlety that makes her role as a struggling mother dealing with her still-born baby and the pain of a past traumatic event which left her youngest daughter deaf extremely complex.
And here lies another aspect of the film that was unpredictable to say the least. Not only does the plot of Esther’s manipulating drive to tear the family apart carry itself impressively, but the number of side-plots and character histories brings a reality to the horror film which might typically lose itself among jumpy noises or scares. In addition, compelling camera angles and the diverse use of sound and dialogue keep the audience enthralled in the story and guessing until the final scene.
As orphan creeper Esther, newcomer Fuhrman is both adorable and intimidating as the newest member of the Coleman family. The way she weasels her way into the minds of her new parents and manipulates the children of the family to do her biddings is both believable and traumatizing, making it difficult to be able to sit back and witness.
While the film seems predictable and pretty standard as horror thrillers come, the trailers honestly do not bring it justice. There is something special about “The Orphan” that keeps you guessing and stays in your mind as you leave the theater, because there really is something wrong with Esther and, by god, it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final second.
4.5 stars out of 5
