Orphan

Sometimes, you just have to listen to people you trust. I had no intention of seeing Orphan, it was released six weeks ago and I could have contently waited until it came out on DVD. But based on the recommendation of two people I trust, I decided to give the film a try, and I really liked it. It was good, and I am becoming a big fan of Dark Castle Entertainment.

Back in the late sixties and early seventies, my brother and I were big fans of horror films. We enjoyed the suspense, the thrills and the mind games. But in the late seventies with the advent of Halloween and subsequent slasher films, the genre changed and I no longer enjoyed the films. However, in 1999, Dark Castle Entertainment was formed and their goal was to bring back the style of horror that thrived in the fifties and sixties when master William Castle reigned. Now that I don’t have to watch torture porn, I can enjoy the genre again.

Orphan tells the story of a family who adopts a charming Russian girl from a Catholic Orphanage and school. Soon after arriving home, the family, one by one, begins to realize that something is wrong with Ester. As Ester’s secrets are slowly revealed, as well as those of the family, we are treated to a very satisfying twist and a thrilling conclusion. In the tradition of all classic horror films, there is always a moral. And in Orphan, the moral is, that sometimes, you just have to listen to people you trust.

Rating: First Run A very satisfying thriller with a brava performance by child actress Isabelle Furhman