When a horror/thriller movie uses a child as the protagonist, you know that character is going to be really scary. I think this has to do with the "innocence of childhood," and all the preconceived notions society has of how a 9-year-old girl should act. "Orphan" takes those preconceived notions and shoves them out the door, while also preying on another unknown: adoption. In this case, the adopted child, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) is even more shadowy because she has come to the Connecticut orphanage she resides at from Russia.
After Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) Coleman's third child is stillborn, they decide to adopt a child. They have two young children already: Daniel and Maxine (or Max), who is deaf and communicates with sign language. When the couple visits the orphanage, they decide to adopt Esther, a smart, artistic girl who is from Russia. At first things are good and the family gets along. Esther picks up sign language quickly, and seems to be doing well. Things quickly take a turn for the worse. A girl breaks her ankle at school, and Esther is nearby. She wears old fashioned type clothes, and is never without a choker necklace and bracelets on both wrists. She shows up at weird intervals, and generally creeps out some of the family, mostly Daniel and Kate, who begin to sense something is off with their new family member. We see just how "off" as the film goes on.
The acting is solid on all fronts, and is a different take on the "evil child" movies like "The Good Son" and "The Omen." This has some good twists and turns, though it does follow a similar formula to those other two films. Fuhrman does a great job as Esther, and really seems to be evil. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who liked either of those other two movies, or if are in the mood for a horror/thriller movie. It's well done, and has plenty of scares.
"Orphan" is rated R for disturbing content, violence and gore, adult language and situations.
7 out of 10 stars
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