Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga, Isabelle Fuhrman
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax)
Running Time: 2 hrs 3 min
Release Date: July 24, 2009
Budget: N/A
Average Critics’ Score: 40%
“… a cut above most spooky-kid movies…” Claudia Puig, USA Today
“Depraved, worthless piece of filth.” Ann Hornaday
Its slogan may be “There’s Something Wrong with Esther,” but there’s a lot wrong with this horror movie about a couple that adopts an evil child. Attempting to recover from the tragedy of their stillborn baby, Kate (The Departed’s Farmiga) and John (Sarsgaard) welcome a Russian orphan into their family. Soon Esther begins terrorizing schoolchildren and animals, and Kate begins to wonder if Esther isn’t really the angelic child she appears. Farmiga gives a strong, emotional performance, and Orphan has a unique, intriguing twist for a formulaic child demon movie. Ultimately, however, the horror clichés and Esther’s over-the-top behavior and comically wicked accent make Orphan unwanted.
