Review of The Orphanage (2007) by Nicole L — 30 Dec 2010
Incredibly well written, directed, and acted, The Orphanage is a(n almost) perfect representation of what a great film should be, horror or otherwise. The movie never really spoon feeds the audience anything through lengthy dialogue-laden sequences, instead allowing the story to unfold visually.
The elements of horror that it has rely on what the audience does not see, instead of relying on cheap jump-scenes and gruesome imagery. The director keeps everything shrouded in shadow, which builds suspense and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat, dreading and anticipating what the movie has in store.
All in all, it's one of the best horror films that I've seen in a long time, mainly because it succeeded in getting under my skin and into my head.
My only complaint is the ending. I won't give anything away, but there is a beautiful sequence at the end of the movie that made me tear up, at which point the movie clearly has nothing more to say, which is then directly followed by an extra minute of footage which does not further the plot at all, and cheapens the conclusion of the film. Movies need to end on the high-note, not take time to wind down, especially after such a beautiful scene.
This review of The Orphanage (2007) was written by Nicole L on 30 Dec 2010.
The Orphanage has generally received very positive reviews.
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