Movie Review: Orphan (2009)

"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 twelve-year-old playing a nine-year-old, although age doesn't count much here. She speaks with a flawless Russian accent and masterfully runs the emotional gamut between sweet and sadistic. Esther is a consummate manipulator, able to advertise herself as the nicest girl you'd ever want to raise as your own before switching gears and making those who stand in her way suffer. We first see her sitting all alone in the classroom of an orphanage, painting a colorful and happy picture that tells a story. Her dress is nice, if a little old fashioned, and the ribbons she has tied around her neck and wrists make her look like a princess. When she smiles, it's not the toothy perfection of a mouthwash commercial but a real girl's smile--so cute and innocent and loveable. Her words are eloquent, and she definitely possesses a wisdom beyond her years. Maybe the trauma of losing her parents back in Russia has forced her to grow up a little too fast.

For these very reasons, she immediately attracts the attention of a couple looking to adopt after a miscarriage claims the life of their third baby. Here enters Kate and John Coleman (Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard), who both carry a lot of baggage. Kate, once a successful piano teacher, is a recovering alcoholic who feels nothing but guilt. John, an architect, is a nice enough guy but takes everything at face value, a character flaw that ultimately proves disastrous.

Esther is adopted. Now things start to get tense. At school, she's made fun of for her clothing and her old, dilapidated Bible, and she screams bloody murder when someone goes to touch the ribbon on her neck. At home, she's hated by the Coleman's son, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), who rightfully feels ignored by his parents. She soon forms an unhealthy bond with the Coleman's deaf young daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer), who eventually sees things that no little girl should ever have to see. As for the relationship between Esther and Kate, it gets progressively worse while the relationship with John gets progressively better. But Kate knows that there's something wrong with Esther, and it has nothing to do with the little things like dropping an F-bomb; it has to do with serious things, like Esther being present when her mean schoolmate falls from the top of a playground set and breaks her ankle.

One of the nuns from the orphanage, Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), seems to think Kate is on to something: "Trouble has a way of finding her," she says of Esther, believing that a mistake might have been made in the adoption process. But what if they were nothing more than accidents? What if Kate is wrong? Is it possible that she's venting her resentments on a girl who has been through a lot? Is it possible that she should be back in rehab? Kate's therapist, Dr. Browning (Margo Martindale), seems to think so, and apparently, so does John. But what about their children? Let's just say they know more than care to admit. Think of it in terms of one of Esther's paintings; when you look it in a different light, you'll find that a completely different story is being told.

"Can you keep a secret?" the ads ask us ominously, if not altogether unexpectedly. Indeed, you should keep the film's big revelation to yourself, even if you found it unconvincing. Suspension of disbelief is required of you, yes, but fortunately, this is one of the few recent horror films that earns it. Why? Because the story doesn't resort to cheap gimmicks--it's a thriller that actually thrills. There are moments that seem to be leading up to a tired horror cliché, only to throw us off guard with ... nothing. When a door or a medicine cabinet is opened, blocking the camera's view, what do you expect to see in the shot when the door closes? In this movie, you're never sure whether or not someone will suddenly appear out of nowhere. If it does happen, chances are it's for reasons other than a quick scare.

The more lasting scares involve Esther, who at one point or another makes use of a hammer, a gun, a vice, a knife, a pillow, a retractable blade, and a match with a bottle of lighter fluid. Even a car rolling backwards down a hill in neutral finds its way into the story. As has been repeatedly said, there's something wrong with Esther, a girl who makes little Rhoda from "The Bad Seed" seem like an amateur. "Orphan" is a first class shocker that begins with a nervous whisper before building to a cry and ending with a scream. Director Jaume Collet-Serra and writers Alex Mace and David Leslie Johnson actually made an effort; yes, their film is scary, and yes, their film is disturbing, but more to the point, their film is engaging.- Chris Pandolfi