The Horror sub-genre that could be titled "evil children" has been around for some time now (since about the mid-20th century), and by now it appears authors and screenwriters alike have exhausted their idea bank. The antagonist child, causing troubles ranging between mischief and actual murders, is either suffering from a mental illness (more often than not it's Antisocial Personality Disorder, aka Psychopathy) or is one way or another involved in an ordeal both supernatural and sinister.
Without risking any potential spoilers and sticking strictly to what viewers were told in trailers, teasers and plot descriptions - Orphan offers nothing new in this regard.
The story is basic and generic to the point of being bluntly unoriginal. A family who's suffered a tragedy looks to adopt a child who appears picture perfect at first and becomes increasingly menacing as the plot unfolds. If this sounds all too familiar to you even though you are yet to watch the film - rest easy, you're not at fault, as anyone would be hard pressed not to be able to come up with at least one other title presenting the same premise.
And yet, there is absolutely something special about Orphan, making it quite memorable even after over a decade. Here are a few examples:
-The antagonist is menacing, creepy, discomforting and at time plain horrifying. This is a combination of very clever character design by writers Mace and Johnson-McGoldrick, and the very impressive Isabelle Fuhrman (her acting, physical features and the costume and makeup design sum up to a nightmarish character).
-The supporting cast is absolutely incredible! First and foremost Vera Farmiga does an impeccable job playing the role of mother Kate, a tragic, vulnerable and emotionally unstable recovering alcoholic (if you've seen her in The Departed you know just how different the two characters are, yet she does amazingly well in both titles, showing true superstar qualities). Second, children Jimmy Bennett (Daniel) and Aryana Engineer (Max) are the perfect addition to the family list of those victimized.
-The Horror effect is achieved by utilizing two of the genre's defining features, which very seldom coexist in the same title. On the one hand, plain old "fear", achieved by the characteristics and actions of the antagonist and the helplessness of the victims; and on the other, the more modern discomfort, achieved by the severe "gaslighting" the mother has to go through and her sheer frustration when nobody believes her and she is left helpless against the system (and even some of those closest to her).
So, what's the problem? Well, some of the key features of the film were unnecessary and made no sense, to the point of being foolish and even comic (something you cannot ever allow to happen in a Horror film which isn't of an initially somewhat comic sub-genre like Slashers):
-The big plot twist is based on a certain illness which one of the characters suffers from. I checked the name, it is in fact "true" (there is such an illness and the described symptoms do exist), but it is still such a rare condition with such specific symptoms that the entire twist feels forced, out of place and unprofessional. Mess up the plot twist and you've messed up the entire film.
-Throughout the film the antagonist is seemingly unbeatable in pretty much any aspect. Omniscient and omnipotent, she reminded me of classic Slasher films where the walking killer is faster than a sprinting teenage athlete. Of course it's "scary" when the antagonist suddenly appears behind your favourite character, or when she manages to perform impossible tasks in a manner devoid of any basic logic - but it's also annoying and unprofessional.
All in all? I was very happy to see a Horror film get such a high rating here on IMDB (7/10? This almost never happens, even with titles deserving of higher ratings which are stuck at 4-5/10). I believe it's the first time in my life that I've rated a Horror film lower than its IMDB average. I also think Orphan is rewarding in its own way and is absolutely worth watching for Horror fans and casual viewers alike. I just hate to see such wasted potential and the blunt use of so many "cheats". I do recommend it, but don't expect to be mind-blown, as this won't be the best Horror film you've watched this year. Or this month.
Without risking any potential spoilers and sticking strictly to what viewers were told in trailers, teasers and plot descriptions - Orphan offers nothing new in this regard.
The story is basic and generic to the point of being bluntly unoriginal. A family who's suffered a tragedy looks to adopt a child who appears picture perfect at first and becomes increasingly menacing as the plot unfolds. If this sounds all too familiar to you even though you are yet to watch the film - rest easy, you're not at fault, as anyone would be hard pressed not to be able to come up with at least one other title presenting the same premise.
And yet, there is absolutely something special about Orphan, making it quite memorable even after over a decade. Here are a few examples:
-The antagonist is menacing, creepy, discomforting and at time plain horrifying. This is a combination of very clever character design by writers Mace and Johnson-McGoldrick, and the very impressive Isabelle Fuhrman (her acting, physical features and the costume and makeup design sum up to a nightmarish character).
-The supporting cast is absolutely incredible! First and foremost Vera Farmiga does an impeccable job playing the role of mother Kate, a tragic, vulnerable and emotionally unstable recovering alcoholic (if you've seen her in The Departed you know just how different the two characters are, yet she does amazingly well in both titles, showing true superstar qualities). Second, children Jimmy Bennett (Daniel) and Aryana Engineer (Max) are the perfect addition to the family list of those victimized.
-The Horror effect is achieved by utilizing two of the genre's defining features, which very seldom coexist in the same title. On the one hand, plain old "fear", achieved by the characteristics and actions of the antagonist and the helplessness of the victims; and on the other, the more modern discomfort, achieved by the severe "gaslighting" the mother has to go through and her sheer frustration when nobody believes her and she is left helpless against the system (and even some of those closest to her).
So, what's the problem? Well, some of the key features of the film were unnecessary and made no sense, to the point of being foolish and even comic (something you cannot ever allow to happen in a Horror film which isn't of an initially somewhat comic sub-genre like Slashers):
-The big plot twist is based on a certain illness which one of the characters suffers from. I checked the name, it is in fact "true" (there is such an illness and the described symptoms do exist), but it is still such a rare condition with such specific symptoms that the entire twist feels forced, out of place and unprofessional. Mess up the plot twist and you've messed up the entire film.
-Throughout the film the antagonist is seemingly unbeatable in pretty much any aspect. Omniscient and omnipotent, she reminded me of classic Slasher films where the walking killer is faster than a sprinting teenage athlete. Of course it's "scary" when the antagonist suddenly appears behind your favourite character, or when she manages to perform impossible tasks in a manner devoid of any basic logic - but it's also annoying and unprofessional.
All in all? I was very happy to see a Horror film get such a high rating here on IMDB (7/10? This almost never happens, even with titles deserving of higher ratings which are stuck at 4-5/10). I believe it's the first time in my life that I've rated a Horror film lower than its IMDB average. I also think Orphan is rewarding in its own way and is absolutely worth watching for Horror fans and casual viewers alike. I just hate to see such wasted potential and the blunt use of so many "cheats". I do recommend it, but don't expect to be mind-blown, as this won't be the best Horror film you've watched this year. Or this month.