DVD Review: Orphan

When Orphan first previewed, we at P³ Entertainment chalked it up as another Omen knockoff that no one wants to see. Well, there’s an old saying, “never judge a book by its cover”. That saying holds strong to what this movie was about. Yes, the movie is a bit cliché with the disturbed child that does “things” to hurt people, but the movie is entertaining and very surprising on its plot twist.

Orphan is about a married couple who wish to have a third child after the still born delivery a year earlier of their third child. The strain on the mother’s body would be too much for her to carry again, so the couple decides to adopt. They go the route of adopting an older child and after going to the orphanage to meet some potential children they could call their own, they are taken to a young, shy, talented, and very smart 9-year old girl named Esther. After spending several hours talking and getting to know Esther, the couple decides she’s the one they wish to take home.

Esther makes herself right at home by becoming a big sister to the youngest daughter (who’s deaf) and competition to the oldest son. She also gets very close to the father but has a problem with bonding with the mother. In school, Esther is teased about her mode of dress and she makes an enemy out of one little girl who repeatedly teases and torments her. Esther isn’t the type to get teased and tormented, so she finds the right time to let this little girl know she’s the wrong orphan to F with. What Esther does is nothing supernatural like Damien of The Omen, but does something common that kids do when they want get back on someone who’s done them wrong. The littlest sister sees this incident and doesn’t speak of it because Esther influences her that what she did wasn’t wrong and that she will accompany her at all times.

As the movies goes on, the mother becomes suspicious about Esther that bad things happen when she’s around. The mother contacts the orphanage and the nun agrees that in the past, Esther has had problems with socializing with other children in the orphanage and that some of the other homes Esther has lived in, bad things have happened, including the death of an entire family in a house fire. The mother begins to put the pieces of Esther’s puzzle together, but by this time, Esther has won the heart and mind of the father, controls the youngest daughter, and has a battle with the son, which puts him in the hospital. The mother wants Esther out of the house, but the father wants the mother out of the house and a divorce. At this point, we’re thinking, this dude is weak. He’s not even listening to his own wife and siding with a little girl who he knows nothing about and he’s not even being logical in his reasoning when his wife is trying to tell him there’s something wrong with Esther.

When it comes down to it, the mother finds out Esther’s secret. By this time, the mother has been committed for a psych evaluation and Esther is set out to complete her mission. The mother does everything in her power to save her family and Esther will see to it that she doesn’t.

The ending has a plot twist, of sorts, that took us by surprise. Everyone isn’t who they seem to be and raises our eyebrow on you knowing exactly who you deal with at all times. But the lesson to be learned from this movie is keep your eyes open at all times, and listen to your loved ones. When they are trying to tell you something, listen. It could be a matter of life or death.

Contact us if you’re interested in reviewing Orphan for yourself.