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Orphan
2009
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psychological
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59 %
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$ 0 Million
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Orphan
Positive Reviews
75
Negative reviews
43
Average Rating
2.8
/5
entertaining
psychological
exceptional
engaging
sentimental
All
Positive
Negative
2.0
If director Jaume Collet Serra set out to make a parody of horror film clichs, he succeeded brilliantly.
Av Club
1.5
However, hes not so good with the adult actors hes charged with handling.
Den Of Geek
2.0
Its as if the movie were saying, Forget all the Hollywood devil children youve seen this ones from the land of Putin!
EW
4.4
You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one.
Rogerebert
1.0
If Orphan were more exuberant a bit more diabolically crazy, a bit more swiftly paced it might be fun; as it is, the film bogs down over its two plus ..
Common Sense Media
4.5
The feature length documentary from directors Amei Wallach and Marion Cajori (who died before its completion) explores Bourgeois oeuvre literally: The ..
Austin Chronicle
3.0
This wickedly entertaining, if slightly over stretched, variation on the familiar evil child scenario displays an unusually complex grasp of twisted p ..
Time Out
2.5
Worse still, it isnt sustained by a narrative thats full of holes (since when do parents not fully investigate their adopted kids backgrounds), and wr ..
0.5
Surely writers David Leslie Johnson and Alex Mace deserve their own circle of hell for thinking up the story, which moves with breathtaking cynicism f ..
1.5
Yet theres also a satisfying humanistic side to the movie, and many moments of uncommon tenderness for such a genre piece.
Screen Daily
4.5
FINAL THOUGHTS Orphan is a deliciously twisted updating of the vile child genre that should prove a viewing treat for horror fans this Halloween seaso ..
Collider
2.5
Bottom line: This Orphan is an atmospheric and occasionally vicious little git and an above average entry into the cuddly hellspawn genre, overlong at ..
2.5
Director Jaume Collet Serra manages to keep whatever originality there is buried behind overproduced horror movie cliches and a significant lack of di ..
IGN
2.0
Competently directed junk, with a script that abandons logic at every turn and dialogue that even some snarky teenage girls seated behind me could pre ..
E Film Critic
3.8
This is a poorly directed wannabe horror film that nevertheless contains more laughs than The Proposal, The Ugly Truth, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and ..
E Film Critic
3.0
Orphan, a flamboyantly pulpy cuckoo in the nest thriller, is not very nice about orphans, but Im not sure its saying that all of them are homicidal Ru ..
Telegraph
2.0
Clocking in at more than two hours, the movie teeters between psychological horror and violent blood letting and, as such, probably wont completely sa ..
3.8
Esther is not just a piece of work, but a detailed piece of work.
San Francisco Chronicle
2.0
Predictable and been there, seen that, but entertaining nevertheless at times.
2.0
Farmiga, unfortunately, is twitchier and more skittish than ever.
Ny Daily News
2.5
Orphan concentrates on the latter and hints at the former but never exploits the dramatic possibilities, despite the efforts of its excellent cast and ..
The Globe And Mail
3.8
But the suspense thrillers success is due to its titular star, Isabelle Fuhrman, 12, whose remarkably mature, eerie performance puts to shame every ki ..
Philly
2.0
The problem with Orphan isnt merely that the film is idiotic its that its also sleazy, formulaic and repellant.
One Guys Opinion
3.0
Silly, overlong, and bloody as hell, Orphan is likely to turn a sweet profit, money that Leo, the renowned do gooder, should spend with shame.
Village Voice
2.0
The good news is that it will have absolutely no effect on adoptions because everything about this fright flick is bogus and ludicrous.
Sover
1.9
It would be harder to find a more dark and joyless thriller on the market than this one.
ReelViews
3.1
The difference is that the screenwriter Donald E. Westlake and Ruben gave the earlier movie a kind of playful darkness and a much snappier pace.Orphan ..
Combust Ible Celluloid
1.0
Reeling from the stillbirth of what would have been their third child, an upper crust couple hits the local orphanage, where they pick out a special l ..
Chicago Reader
2.0
This is a film that is trashy fun and seriously sleazy yet written with some psychological depth in its characters.
3.8
Collet Serras inability to inject even an ounce of excitement into the movies action sequences proves disastrous, with the less than engrossing nature ..
Reel Film Reviews
2.0
This endless series of cliches and recycled plot points is dumb but tolerable, I suppose, particularly if you go into it expecting kitsch.
Eric Ds Nider
2.0
There is a funny, creepy twist, but as masochistic bad parent wish fulfillment for the denizens of wintry Connecticut complacency, its already scary e ..
News Review
1.5
Should you still be concerned about the films appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detai ..
Screen It
2.0
A squall of improbabilities leads to a laughable late revelation, yet somehow the film keeps a clammy grip.
Independent
3.0
An entertaining addition to the evil child genre, simply for its over the top chills and nutty plot
Shadows On The Wall
2.5
Its not enough to describe Dead Man as simply an anti western; its an iconoclastic deconstruction of late 19th Century American values and mores, many ..
Pop Matters
2.5
Its not enough to describe Dead Man as simply an anti western; its an iconoclastic deconstruction of late 19th Century American values and mores, many ..
Pop Matters
4.0
But what is she up toFuhrman is terrific as Esther, effortlessly switching from adorable to terrifying and back again but never losing an air of creep ..
View London
3.8
BOTTOM LINE Creepy good fun, with a standout performance from Fuhrman as the demon seed.
News Day
1.9
The parents are sold, and the orphanage is minus its creepiest resident.
New York Post
3.5
Orphan works because its a film that knows exactly what it wants to be creepy as all get out and does everything possible to achieve that goal.
Az Central
3.1
As a movie, its entertaining trash a good bad movie you can shriek at, laugh at, or both.
Boston
1.5
I will concede that the climactic section of the movie manages to be silly, tasteless and utterly predictable all at the same time.
Mountain X
2.0
Its hard to believe the director is taking this all seriously, and the audience most assuredly isnt, but Kate most definitely is.
Npr
1.5
But domestic dramas dont put butts in multiplex seats: horror movies do.
3.1
Bad in ways shock flick fans wont expect.Esther exhibits exceptional artistic skills, plays a killer Tchaikovsky riff on the family piano, and knows t ..
Toronto Star
2.0
Fifty years ago viewers were both shocked and riveted by The Bad Seed, and thirty years ago they went for the ride with The Omen, but to make such old ..
Emanuellevy
4.0
Although slightly overlong, the film sustains the escalating horror and keeps up its sleeve a truly shocking revelation thats carefully prepared for, ..
Guardian
3.0
A bad choice for anyone considering fostering, but a cracking one for everyone else A bad choice for anyone considering fostering, but a cracking one ..
Guardian
3.8
Sicario: Day of the Soldado Throughout Sicario: Day of the Soldado, characters talk about things needing to be clean, which pretty much means that a l ..
Q Network
4.0
Orphan is nasty but enjoyable, and the whole film is so competently crafted and superbly acted, especially by the three central females, that I was gr ..
Daily Mail
3.5
Truly with such an interesting premise we could afford something more groundbreaking but alas the violence and manipulation really just stumbles out t ..
Cinema Crazed
2.0
Its not enough that everything is oversized and overblown but the filmmakers fall into the trap of thinking that more is better.We dont need three end ..
3.0
Susan Grangers review of Orphan (Warner Bros.).Evil child thrillers have always had a creepy audience appeal and this combines psychological elements ..
Susang Ranger
4.5
Some really amazing, thoroughly entertaining, laugh out loud trash that doesnt deserve the drubbing its preemptively getting from adoption advocacy gr ..
Movies
3.0
For the most part, Esther is an entertaining and solid addition to the Evil Child canon.
Flim Threet
2.0
Thats quite a creepy premise for a horror story to live up to. That it does and more is a testament to the level of intensity in this tale of a troubl ..
Boston Herald
4.5
Some viewers may find it all unbearably sentimental but the film deserves praise for an unexpected ending that doesnt launch an all out assault on the ..
Express
3.1
The latest horror thriller romp from Warner Bros. and Dark Castle may look like a remake like many of their earlier efforts, but surely rips off many ..
Mr Brown Movies
4.0
For that notable achievement alone, Collet Serras shocker deserves two enthusiastically raised thumbs.Still, the inevitable 25 sequels will undoubtedl ..
The Irish Times
3.0
Theres a lot of slow burn to endure in the first hour, but the payoff is one of the most batshit crazy finales in recent memory.
Total Film
2.0
As modern horror movies go, Orphan relishes suspense over exploitation, and dread over abstract terror.
Coles Mithey
3.5
Its not a fantastic thriller but its not bad and often far better than it probably should be.
4.4
I actually like this ending better, as it feels more true to the spirit of the story.That said, its kind of subtle and does not provide the sort of ca ..
Aisle Seat
2.5
Its not a politically correct theme sisterhood is illusory but it is an engaging one.
Nj
1.0
But its not even an effective horror movie.Instead, its the cinematic equivalent of a mockingbird.
7M Pictures
1.9
Look, the real wonder of WW84 is that this maybe isnt the worst thing about it.
Film Freak Central
3.0
It takes too long to get started, it pulls some key punches, its dialogue is deeply uninteresting, it relies way too heavily on endless jump scares an ..
Oregon Live
3.0
Has enough kinky Grand Guignol moments and scenes of sheer terror to make a quick killing at the box office even though it borrows from just about eve ..
Boxoffice Magazine
3.0
Hard to blame them, though: They spend so much time trying to have sex in unusual positions and places that there isnt much time left to worry about w ..
E Online
2.0
It does squander a strong setup though with an increasing amount of camp.
Film School Rejects
3.0
Much credit goes to director Jaume Collet Serra who shows off his skills to much better affect than in his... ridiculous 2005 remake of House Of Wax.
Maki At The Movies
3.0
Unfortunately, one thing that Orphan most definitely is not is a good film.
Digital Spy
2.0
Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther does her best with the material, but frankly the story lacks a strong central thesis about the nature of evil.
Abc
3.0
One of the good things about ORPHAN, which is directed by Jaume Collet Sera, is that it takes itself quite seriously and manages to bring a surprising ..
Abc
3.8
During a summer with the usual transforming robots and young wizards, this chilly flick is a bit of a break, and there are worse options than letting ..
Stl Today
2.5
Call it crass, call it ridiculous, but when a movie can make an entire audience laugh and gag at the same time, somethings cooking.
The Stranger
3.0
That director Jaume Collet Serra made House of Wax, the Paris Hilton remake, does not bode well. But stars Vera Farmiga and Peter Saarsgard, as mum an ..
Ft
4.4
Fuhrman understands the part through and throughall the more amazing for a 12 year oldand presents a fascinating case study for a probably incurable d ..
Dustin Put Man
4.5
Like being ordered to have long hair and smile on stage, but wondering how to smile with a trombone in your mouth.Or repeatedly told youre not good en ..
News Blaze
3.0
Orphan is certainly scary enough for the story to haunt you after the film is over.
The Sun
2.0
A slimy sexual element with Esther is introduced as well that mightve made for pristine horror fodder had the script maintained some gumption and chee ..
Brian Or Ndorf
1.5
Ill give this much credit to the movie: I absolutely did not see the twist coming. This is because the twist... is unconscionably f g stupid
Antagony & Ecstasy
3.1
Its as if, at times, he doesnt truly trust the material hes presenting.
3.6
Ultimately, Shrink manages to be a mildly engaging ensemble drama with decent performances, but it suffers from an overstuffed, contrived and often te ..
Nyc Movie Guru
4.0
Collet Serra manages to sustain tension throughout, prudently deploying his jumps and jolts and pumping up the grue factor. So while it often prompts ..
Sky
3.0
September 21, 2018 Henry Jamess tricks and traps; how to read Anglo Saxon poetry; the modern context of USIran relations; dissent, protest, satire and ..
Entertainment Times Online ..
4.0
September 21, 2018 Henry Jamess tricks and traps; how to read Anglo Saxon poetry; the modern context of USIran relations; dissent, protest, satire and ..
Entertainment Times Online ..
3.0
Its The Omen a with ringlets!.This superior evil child horror sees two US parents (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga), who are still grieving from thei ..
Metro
2.0
A creepy, yet fun, alternative to a testosterone filled summer, a small but effective little thriller that features some strong performances and a nea ..
Bowling Green Daily News
3.5
The stomach knotting is kept taut throughout, and the acting is first rate none more than Fuhrman, who seems to have the self awareness and skill to b ..
Jam! Movies
3.0
A creepy premise is undermined by wilfully flashy direction as a fine cast struggle bravely to inject credibility into a tale of vanishing nuns and bu ..
Film4
2.0
...more concerned with producing cheap thrills and melodramatic effects than creating any sense of mystery or suspense.
Movie Metropolis
3.0
The most committed, downright unpleasant child from hell movie imaginable. It makes The Good Son play like Pollyanna.
Film Blather
3.0
A decent horror flick with a great kid villain that is undone when it hits familiar chase movie territory and dead isnt really dead dead end.
Tri City Herald
2.0
It feels too slow and moody for the Halloween crowd and too absurd and silly for more discriminating horror fans.
Orlando Sentinel
2.0
The acting is richer than the story ... but this is a film designed to live or die on its twist. Good luck with that.
Metromix.com
0.0
It knows precisely what it is doing, and it doesnt care what anyone least of all sane, decent human beings might say about it.
Cinema Phile
3.0
While the third act surprise twist of Orphan must have looked wicked good on paper, on screen ... not so much.
MSN Movies
4.0
I really enjoyed Orphan and enjoyed the fact that the film went to some pretty dark and twisted places.
Dread Central
0.0
Countless horror cliches are trotted out in this grim, two hour train wreck, which was helmed by Jaume Collet Serra, who did a surprisingly good job o ..
Ear Of Newt
3.5
Yet another wearying battle of the sexes romp thats sure to please dumb people but didnt please me.
Huffing Ton Post
3.8
An exceptional cast, including child actress Isabelle Fuhrman, make Orphan a cut above.
2 The Advocate
3.1
Distinguished by a loony plot twist and by its sympathetic treatment of characters...
Gomemphis
2.0
A difficult child that horror loving parents will find hard to adopt as one of their own.
Sfx
3.0
Im not going to tell you what it is because it will make you want to light the theater on fire under a black light.
Movie Juice
2.0
Just because Orphan is relentlessly bad doesnt mean its not entertaining.
Mania.com
2.5
Orphan contains one of the most terrifying and intense horror endings I have seen in years but the rest of the film was just laughably bad.
3.0
Its many outright depictions of children in jeopardy are scary, but its marital drama is even more unsettling.
Deep Focus
3.8
While laughter may not be the intended entertainment value, you have to admit Orphan does entertain. Isnt that what really counts
Dc5
3.1
Orphan manages the rare feat of having a finale you can see coming if you pay close enough attention but that can flabbergast you by its outrageous fo ..
Washington Times
2.5
Step 1: Dont be afraid.Horror movies about creepy kids can be frightening just not in Orphan.
The Movie Kit
3.0
Midway between surprisingly compelling and predictably familiar.For every good performance, theres an editing blunder, and for every spark of visual s ..
Blog The Horror Show
4.5
Orphan is one of the weirdest major studio summer movies in a long time. Its the kid at the summer movie school that no one wants to play with because ..
Movie Retriever
2.0
Sticking closely to the conventions of the Evil Child movie genre, there are few surprises (or even scares) as we saunter towards that absurd ending. ..
Daily Mirror (UK)
3.0
I didnt mind wasting two hours watching the truly ferocious Furhman teach Max how to play Russian roulette and snickering when Kate thinks to Google c ..
Ie Weekly
3.0
Enough jump out of your seat moments to make this nonetheless trashy, implausible thirller watchable.
Courier Mail (Australia)
3.0
Strange and nasty Esther is the consummate political player in a deadly game of unhappy families, in this fairly straightforward psychological thrille ..
Screen Wize
2.2
House of Wax director Jaume Collet Serra returns to the horror genre with Orphan, a clumsy thriller that elicits far more laughs than genuine scares. ..
Ask Men
3.0
If Esther materialises silently and unexpectedly once at the edge of the camera, she does it a dozen times but this is merely the film warming up its ..
3.0
Preventing Orphan from surpassing its solid status is the predictability of much of its plot. Youll be able to guess Esthers next move well before she ..
Empire Online
4.0
Orphan is refreshing for its skilled execution and genuinely disturbing atmosphere that permeates every scene.
4.0
And fans of solid, out of left field genre entertainment, rejoice: This summers shark movie may very well be the most fun youll have being suckerpunch ..
Camp Blood
3.0
Youll continue to enjoy Heart and all of its great content and features!
Heart London
3.5
Collet Serras film succeeds in being genuinely creepy, is commendably well acted by all concerned, and contains the best twist since The Crying Game.
The Australian
4.5
Orphan delivers the goods and then some, but its the pretense of respectability that overshadows its often silly, superficial but satisfying scares.
Scifi Wire
3.0
Orphans protracted runtime is exacerbated by how unlikable Sarsgaards character is, but you have to admire the audacity (and unpredictability) of the ..
Horror Queers Podcast
3.8
David Johnsons script plays fair with red herrings before a devilish denouement with all the torque of a good twist. Esther doesnt just want to topple ..
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Orphan