DVD Reviews

Orphan

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Peter Sarsgaard
• Details: US / 123mins (18).

Twist endings in horrors are nothing new these days and the audience have come to expect them, but in The Orphan's case the twist comes as a relief to the awkward and disturbing run up.
In an effort to put the death of their baby, Jessica, behind them, Kate (Farmiga) and John (Sarsgaard) decide to adopt a child from the local orphanage and are impressed by 9-year-old Esther (Fuhrman), a polite, mature-for-her-age Estonian girl. Esther is odd, however - she doesn't interact with the other children, wears clothes from a by-gone era and are told that 'trouble always finds her'. They take Esther home to their idyllic country home where 'trouble' starts immediately: Esther torments older 'brother' Daniel (Bennett) and scares younger 'sister' Max (Aryana Engineer) into doing her bidding.
Where Orphan follows the strict lines of the 'evil kid' sub genre of horror (mother reckons something is up but no one believes her), the thriller finds more to do. Its two first-time writers - Dave Johnson and Alex Mace - give their characters a depth usually unfound in such movies: Kate is an alcoholic and, haunted by dreams of the stillborn Jessica, sees a psychiatrist; John once cheated on her and an undercurrent of mistrust exists between the couple. Not only are these used by Esther to drive a wedge between Kate and John, but it also creates at atmosphere of doubt in the audience: is Kate losing her mind and imagining all this? Johnson and Mace also don't mind in making the audience squirm either: the movie takes a dark and disturbing turn no one sees coming and even though there's a disappointment that the filmmakers backed away from what would be a brave move, it's also a relief that they do.
Sarsgaard and Farmiga hold the fort with steady performances but it's young Isabelle Fuhrmann who steals the show. Switching from the angelic to outright evil in a beat, Fuhrmann delivers a mature performance that belies her age. We'll be seeing her again.

Review by Gavin Burke