Review of The Orphanage (2007) by Filipeneto — 24 Jul 2018

This movie is a small pearl of horror movies and comes from the country next to me. It tells the story of a couple who went to live in a renovated orphanage and where, soon, their little son begins to see invisible children before disappearing.

From then on, a tense supernatural story unfolds, holding us to the screen until the end. The script is simple but effective, the story is good and the permanent tension is gradually growing. Directed by Juan Antonio Baiona (a director I had never heard of), it is a film that comes in line with other works of the most recent Spanish cinema, by Guillermo del Toro or Alejandro Amenábar.

The environments and scenarios have been carefully elaborated and the actors' work (highlighting Belén Rueda and Roger Príncep) is moving and convincing. This is undoubtedly a film that deserves much more visibility, ending up being harmed by its European origin and not having the same advertising machine as the great American works.