Orphan

Surprisingly Good and Intense
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought "Oh God, another one of those movies." But I was surprised that after I'd gone and seen it, I'd actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Isabelle Fuhrman is the "orphan"; that is, 9-year-old Esther who seems a little strange and morbid despite the adopted parents instance attraction to her. When violent events began taking place that are connected to Esther, the parents began to suspect that there is more to the little girl than appears.

Fuhrman definitely was the right choice for the role of Esther; she has an attractive face and her youth doesn't strain her acting abilities which were very convincing. I won't lie though; the movie was very grisly, and even I had to turn away from the screen a few times. Even the twist ending really shocked me, and I'm not easily shocked. I really think that despite how it looks, give it a shot, because it wasn't a bad little movie. It was well acted, well thought out, and...

Remarkable Isabelle Fuhrman Drives This Tense Suspense Thriller!
I saw this film when it opened on July 24, 2009. Mixed reviews from fans and critics were the usual flair upon its release, but something struck me about this movie. The film went on to gross $37 million at the box-office despite the thrashing it took from critics, but everyone couldn't help but notice the Oscar-nomination worthy performance of its 12-year-old star Isabelle Fuhrman. I just viewed the film on DVD for the first time since its theaterical run and I'm still seeing just how riveting and engaging this movie really is.

"Orphan" is NOT a horror film. It's more along the lines of a SUSPENSE THRILLER. When I think of horror films, I think of sex-crazed teenagers being sliced up one-by-one by a machete-wielding maniac (Jason Voorhies, Freddy Krueger, Micheal Myers, etc.). The only real weapons wielded here is just a hammer, a knife, and a .38-caliber pistol. You think scary when it comes to horror films and "Orphan" isn't scary. Has some frightful moments, yes, but...

You've Been a Bad Girl
"There's something wrong with Esther," say the ads for "Orphan," and indeed, there is. I could just end the review with that, as it does pretty much tell you everything you need to know about the main character, an adopted girl who promises heaven and delivers hell. But then I'd miss out on the opportunity to tell you about all the other great things it has to offer. This is a truly great horror movie, ambitious enough to be frightening and absorbing, confident enough to toy with the conventions we know all too well, mature enough to rely on the talents of actors instead of the sex appeal of teenagers. Its greatest achievement is transcending the cliché that is the precocious yet evil child, and while I'd like to elaborate on that, I'm afraid the nature of the plot doesn't allow for such details. Regardless, what happens is most likely not what you think will happen, which is to say that you'll actually be surprised.

Esther is played by Isabelle Furhman, a...

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