Review of Orphan (2009) by Kristopher S — 12 Nov 2012

Just finished re-watching "Orphan" for the first time since it was released in 2009. "Orphan" is a great thriller, though it's content is rather disturbing, so be warned. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded in Orphan. Mild spoilers may follow (nothing not shown in the trailer).

The main character of the story Kate Coleman is grieving after a recent miscarriage. They decide to adopt an older child from a local orphanage. Esther appears to be a sweet girl, though very soon after arriving at the Coleman's home she begins showing her true colors. Strange (and violent) occurrences begin shortly after Esther's arrival, and Kate is almost immediately suspicious that Esther is somehow involved. As the stakes raise, and lives hang in the balance, Kate is the only character in the film with a clue, yet both her shrink and her husband write her concerns off as a grieving recovering alcoholic suffering from paranoia. I will not spoil anything, but there is an excellent twist towards the climax of the film that not one person I've spoke to that saw the film saw coming.

As previously mentioned, this film is highly disturbing in parts. The antagonist of the film is a nine year old child whom we witness commit very heinous acts. It is rather disturbing to watch, and children in the film are also victims of her heinous acts. The viewing of this film is very unsettling in parts. That being said, this is a phenomenally crafted thriller. I am surprised that it only garners a 56% average here on Rotten Tomates, though Roger Ebert gave it 3.5/4 stars (an excellent rating from him), which is saying something.