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The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard, aka "John Malcovich V 2.0"), and it's taking it's toll on both their marriage and Kate's fragile psyche.
It seems she is more than just a little plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past.
Struggling
to regain normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another
child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves
strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther.
It's at this point Orphan
heads off into the complete opposite direction to what trailers suggest
- because there isn't a speck of supernatural or "Why dear... Esther's
been dead for 100 years" to be seen - despite what the trailers seem to insinuate.
Anyhew
- almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, an alarming
series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there's
something wrong with Esther.
Apparently this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be.
What
follows is a fun and surprisingly (if not somewhat refreshingly)
intense mind-games inspired thriller in which family members are turned
against family members - and Esther becomes a creepier and more
disturbing little girl by the minute.
Anyone who attended the same Grade 5 Sleep-Over party as me back in the mid-90s will notice a good majority of Orphan is eerily similar to the much forgotten 1992 horror flick Mikey.
That
said, the similarities don't pose too much of a problem... because no
matter how often to you encounter it, nothing is more disturbing and
unnerving than watching an innocent child with a calculating and
psychotic ability to kill. Orphan also never sticks to one conclusion -
and no matter how many times you change your mind, there is almost no
possible way you'll work out the ending! DVD Special Features
Quite a bit on here - Additional scenes, Alternate
ending (well worth checking out if you weren't to happy with the films
original ending), plus the featurette "Mama's Little Devils: Bad
Seeds", "Evil Kids and Orphan" and a Digital copy (on Blu-ray only).
This
flick was a surprise packet in cinemas, and is destined to become a
classic on DVD. Be sure to check it out on your next Friday night
in. Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 65%
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