Orphan
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After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply split on this psycho-child thriller: a vocal minority found it a gleefully shameless genre exercise, while the majority considered it formulaic and sleazy, arguing it squanders a promising premise by its second half. The film drew additional controversy from adoption advocacy groups who objected to its portrayal of adoptees as inherently dangerous. Audience enthusiasm has consistently outrun critical opinion, making the gap between popular and critical reception part of the film's identity.
“After seeing 'Orphan,' I now realize that Damien of 'The Omen' was a model child. The Demon Seed was a bumper crop. Rosemary would have been happy to have this baby. Here is a shamelessly effective horror film based on the most diabolical of movie malefactors, a child. You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Teasingly enjoyable rubbish through the first hour, Orphan becomes genuine trash during its protracted second half.”
Todd McCarthy·Variety
“Actors have to eat like the rest of us, if evidently not as much, but you still have to wonder how the independent film mainstays Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard ended up wading through Orphan and, for the most part, not laughing.”
Manohla Dargis·The New York Times
“Orphan isn't scary – it's garish and plodding.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Orphan provides everything you might expect in a psycho-child thriller but with such excess and exuberance that it still has the power to surprise.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Jaume Collet-SerraDirector
Vera FarmigaKate
Peter SarsgaardJohn
Isabelle FuhrmanEsther
CCH PounderSister Abigail
Jimmy BennettDaniel
Margo MartindaleDr. Browning
Karel RodenDr. Värava
Aryana EngineerMax
Rosemary DunsmoreGrandma Barbara
Jamie YoungBrenda
Lorry AyersJoyce
Brendan WallDetective
John OttmanComposer
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrickWriter
Jeff CutterCinematographyOrphan
After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics were sharply split on this psycho-child thriller: a vocal minority found it a gleefully shameless genre exercise, while the majority considered it formulaic and sleazy, arguing it squanders a promising premise by its second half. The film drew additional controversy from adoption advocacy groups who objected to its portrayal of adoptees as inherently dangerous. Audience enthusiasm has consistently outrun critical opinion, making the gap between popular and critical reception part of the film's identity.
“After seeing 'Orphan,' I now realize that Damien of 'The Omen' was a model child. The Demon Seed was a bumper crop. Rosemary would have been happy to have this baby. Here is a shamelessly effective horror film based on the most diabolical of movie malefactors, a child. You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Teasingly enjoyable rubbish through the first hour, Orphan becomes genuine trash during its protracted second half.”
Todd McCarthy·Variety
“Actors have to eat like the rest of us, if evidently not as much, but you still have to wonder how the independent film mainstays Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard ended up wading through Orphan and, for the most part, not laughing.”
Manohla Dargis·The New York Times
“Orphan isn't scary – it's garish and plodding.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Orphan provides everything you might expect in a psycho-child thriller but with such excess and exuberance that it still has the power to surprise.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
Genres
Horror, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Jaume Collet-SerraDirectorVera FarmigaKatePeter SarsgaardJohnIsabelle FuhrmanEstherCCH PounderSister AbigailJimmy BennettDanielMargo MartindaleDr. BrowningKarel RodenDr. VäravaAryana EngineerMaxRosemary DunsmoreGrandma BarbaraJamie YoungBrendaLorry AyersJoyceBrendan WallDetectiveJohn OttmanComposerDavid Leslie Johnson-McGoldrickWriterJeff CutterCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy