Well directed, acted and written--one of the best recent horror films...

Rating: Null/10 (28 July 2009)

ISABELLE FUHRMAN, VERA FARMIGA and PETER SARSGAARD are hardly household names to me but they do a superb job of carrying the main suspense ingredients of ORPHAN--as does the atmospheric photography filmed among snowy Canadian landscapes.
So do all the other members of the cast--all very convincing in their roles, especially the little deaf girl ARYANA ENGINEER. She's adorable and becomes a pawn in the manipulations of Esther (Fuhrman), the orphan adopted into the household before a background check can reveal the truth about her past.
Of course, anyone familiar with the pattern of most horror films of this ilk can spot some of the usual set-ups: a husband who is clueless about seriously suspecting the orphan can be evil, the wife whom nobody believes because she has a drinking problem, the little brother who resents the intrusion of a "different" kind of girl, the well meaning nun whose social worker instincts will lead to her downfall.
But many other aspects of the plot come as a surprise and are, to say the least, unexpected and shockingly gruesome.
And some threads of the plot can be suspected pretty early on. Still, the final twist at the end is shocking and satisfying, thanks to the performance Fuhrman has so convincingly given. She plays the role with such sweet and sometimes sinister maturity that the final revelation is acceptable.
ORPHAN delivers the chills, all staged brilliantly and turning it into a horror film that is just as chilly as the ever snowy weather with frozen ponds and feathery flakes making the indoor sets of a rustic cabin look most inviting.
Good direction and superior art decoration, as well as strong performances, makes this an above average thriller.