One of the best horror films of 2007

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2007)

I happened to be in Denver on business and the Denver film festival was in full swing. When I found out this film was playing at midnight on my last night in Denver, I jumped at the chance to walk 20 blocks one way (and in November) to see it. I was not disappointed.
I was not impressed in the beginning because the film seemed a bit derivative to me. I mean, just how many ghost stories concerning children are there? And with imaginary friends, too? I was thinking "Amityville Horror", "The Shining", "Wicked Little Things", et al ad nauseum. But, boy was I wrong! There are entire sequences that are reminiscent of classic fright films: of course the boy with imaginary friends, as mentioned above; but also a psychic and her entourage right out of "Poltergeist"; there's a death I've seen before as well, I think out of one of the "Final Destination" films; and of course, the general outline--a ghost story set in an orphanage--is vaguely reminiscent of Guillermo del Toro's own "The Devil's Backbone". All the ghostly trappings we have come to expect from classic fright films are there as well, from mysterious noises and bangings to ghostly visions. I'm not saying that this film ripped off any other film; on the contrary, it was great fun recognizing all these classic fright moments, and they weren't done in an homage type of way--they stood on their own.
I can't tell you the last time a film made me jump. It has been a long while since I've attended a film that made the entire audience jump. This one does it not once, not twice, not thrice, but several times. It is spooky and atmospheric in places, it has some jump scares, but it also has some out-and-out scares that are guaranteed to get to you, no matter how hard-core you think you may be.
I do have to say that I guessed early on what happened in the end. I didn't know exactly why or how, but I did guess the cause of the haunting. I don't think it mattered, I don't think it was being hidden. I think it was obvious that the orphanage was haunted because of some terrible past event involving children (why else would you call it "The Orpanage"?!). But the reason behind the event was solid and the way the protagonist finds the information is cool. Besides, wasn't it Alfred Hitchcock who said that it isn't the bomb under the table that makes the scene scary, it's the fact that you don't know when it's going to blow up that creates the tension. So it didn't matter that I understood early on WHAT had caused the haunting.
And finally, the ending is bittersweet. It isn't a typical American ending in that everything is wrapped up and presented to the audience with a bow. It isn't a sanitized ending, and it isn't necessarily a perfectly happy ending. I like that. It seems more real to me. I hate the fact that we Americans tend to want a sugary sweet ending so we can walk out and smile about the film without any more thought given. In fact, the last American film I can think of that didn't deliver the sappy ending was Sandra Bullock's "Premonition", and it flopped at the theater.
Another film that I would draw comparisons to is Kevin Costner's "Dragonfly". It is similar in theme in that it is pretty creepy and scary until the end when you have some resolution for the protagonist, but not a typically happy American ending--a bittersweet ending, much like "The Orphanage".
Overall, I truly enjoyed this film. It was spooky, it made me jump, it was fun, and it had a good ending. I hope the director makes more like this.