It’s time for another horror film review after all it is Halloween, who doesn’t like a good creepy movie this time of year? The one I’m taking a look at here is somewhat disturbing but certainly worthy of watching. So without further ado here’s my Orphan blu-ray review.
- Orphan (2009)
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
- UK Rating 15
- Released By Studiocanal
- Blu-ray Released: 30th November 2009
Plot
When Kate and John Coleman suffer the loss of their third child even before it’s born their marriage is placed under a lot of pressure leading to Kate turning to drink. Having gotten through that tough period they decide the time is right to adopt a child. They visit an orphanage and find a quiet, intelligent and well mannered young Russian girl named Esther that they instantly take a liking to.
Esther soon moves in with the Coleman family but has a few peculiar traits. Is she really the model daughter or is she in fact their worst nightmare?
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra with the cinematography side of things taken care of by Jeff Cutter. Make no mistake this is one very well made film, it oozes style and creates a very unnerving feeling. The pacing is perfect allowing plenty of time to build up the tension yet never dwelling too long on any one aspect. Make no mistake this is one hell of a disturbing film.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is by John Ottman and provides a suitably unnerving score.
Acting / Characters
The acting is pretty top-notch with Vera Farmiga as the mother Kate taking on a tough role and delivering an outstanding performance.
Isabelle Fuhrman plays Esther the orphan that you really wouldn’t want in your life. She plays this to perfection being the well mannered innocent child one moment and a truly cold calculated psychopath the next.
The other two children are also very good with Aryana Engineer as the young daughter Max, a partially deaf child that uses sign language to communicate. She really does put in an exceptional performance for someone so young.
Cast
- Vera Farmiga as Kate Coleman
- Peter Sarsgaard as John Coleman
- Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther
- Aryana Engineer as Maxine “Max” Coleman
- Jimmy Bennett as Daniel “Danny” Coleman
- C. C. H. Pounder as Sister Abigail
- Margo Martindale as Dr. Browning
- Karel Roden as Dr. Värava
Conclusion: Orphan (2009) Film Review
I’d never seen the Orphan before reviewing it here on Blu-ray and I have to say I was kind of pleasantly surprised by its originality. Most of the intial part of the film appears to be largely ruin of the mill stuff for a horror / thriller but as the story unfolds the reasoning for Esther’s behaviour becomes clear and that itself is incredibly disturbing.
Some people have compared it to The Omen (1976) and I think that’s a fair comparison in terms of tone and style. It’s nice to see a film going for more of that seventies style horror as I really do think it places more emphasis on the story and acting rather than simple jump scares.
If you love a good horror film then Orphan is a must see.
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Conclusion: Orphan Blu-ray Review
Clearly the picture quality is not an issue being a 2009 released film so I’ll move on to the extras.
On the extras front there’s a decent set of interviews and documentaries that give some insight into the making of the film. Oh and the good news is the ending in the film is absolutely the right way to go rather than the alternate ending that’s included as part of the extras.
Extras
- Deleted Scenes / Alternate Ending
- Mama’s Little Devils: Bad Seeds & Evil Children (15 mins)
- Interviews with Cast & Crew (19 mins)
- Original Film Trailer
Popcorn Cinema Rating: Orphan (2009)
MOVIE RATING: EXCELLENT
BLU-RYA RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Purchase Orphan (2009) On Blu-ray
Orphan (2009) is available now on blu-ray.
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Orphan (2009) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That’s my Orphan blu-ray review, if you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: Orphan (2009) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Orphan (2009)
Duration: 122 mins
Director(s): Jaume Collet-Serra
Actor(s): Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, C. C. H. Pounder, Jimmy Bennett
Genre: Horror, Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
An extremely clever and terrifying horror/thriller that’s should be on everyone’s must see list.
