Warner Bros. psychological horror film produced by Dark Castle Entertainment offers strong cast and story with an unexpected twist ending *** 3 stars

By Jennifer Huber

Isabelle Fuhrman in horror thriller Orphan

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 7/24/2009 – “I think that people would like to see this movie because it will scare them a lot,” says Orphan star Isabelle Fuhrman who plays the title role. “It’ll make them think, ‘Oh my gosh, don’t turn the corner, don’t turn the corner, don’t, don’t, don’t… Something’s going to happen!’”

Orphan is both horror and psychological thriller, The film takes a very real family through the rigors of a very evil orphan. Orphan follows it’s title character, Esther, as she’s adopted by a broken family. Having recently lost a child through miscarriage, the family hopes that adoption will heal deep wounds.

“Esther is very complex,” says Fuhrman. “She’s sweet and happy one moment, and then in a minute she’s crazy and upset and angry. She feels that she was never loved by anybody, like she’s a good little girl in a world that is just against her. She feels like she’s the victim. I tried to bring all her different sides…her shy side, her sweet side, her menacing side and her weird, kind of crazy side…and mesh them into one person and add my own twist to it. If I make people love Esther and hate her at the same time, I’ve done my job.”

“Esther is welcomed into the family, but soon after her arrival we see that she’s not as innocent as she seemed,” says Orphan director Jaume Collet-Serra. “In a film, when you have an evil kid who does evil things, you start small and more subtly than you might expect in a horror movie. Little things start happening, and before you realize it you have an enemy inside the house, this little girl manipulating the situation,”

“A villain like this is interesting to watch,” says Orphan producer Joel Silver. “You wouldn’t want to see her in the real world, but it’s fun to see her in a movie. She’s a psychopath in the shape of a little girl who will stop at nothing.”

“This story puts a new spin on the genre,” says Orphan star Vera Farminga who plays the mother. “It’s not just bloodletting, it’s horrifying events happening to real people with real problems, events that make you shudder and say, ‘Thank God that’s not happening to me!’”

Isabelle Fuhrman draws viewers in with her sweet and innocent act in the beginning and then seamlessly transitions to manipulative and evil. Farmiga is the first to notice that things with Esther might not quite be as they seem. She struggles to make others believe, and her frustration draws you into the film. Peter Sarsgaard, the husband, is believable as a man who prefers to stay out of the negative and gloss over any unpleasant situation.

Jimmy Bennett, fresh off his portrayal of young James T. Kirk in Star Trek, is the son. Aryana Engineer, in her acting debut, is the daughter in the family. They’re key to Orphan delivering on many levels.

Orphan isn’t just an evil child movie. It’s scary, thrilling and disturbing. It keeps you guessing. What’s wrong with Esther? Orphan maintains the pace. There’s always a feeling that something is not quite right. It’s not as blatant or flashy we’ve come to expect from films of this genre. Compelling acting, sophisticated story and a very unique twist at the end.

Orphan
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Location: Canada
Running time: 123 minutes
Release date: July 24, 2009
MPAA rating: R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language