Not your average ghost story

Rating: 9/10 (23 August 2014)

The scripts of most ghost stories nowadays are mostly focused on cheap thrills and shocks; a little gore here, a hideous face there. The story and scares are not in synergy that is why it feels like you are being frightened in all too predictable ways. To clarify, I am not arguing against jump-scenes but rather their substance and contribution to the film.
For a refreshing change, El Orfanato is a horror flick where the jump-scenes play a critical, almost essential role in the film. They are not there for some cheap skip-a-beats but rather are well-worked into the story of the film.
Also, El Orfanato pulls at all the right emotional strings with its secondary theme of a mother's love. Belen Rueda plays the role of a tormented mother excessively well. It was almost too believable.
Although, some may argue that the film sometimes loses track with slow-burning scenes but I believe that these scenes were essential in shedding light on the story and were required for the great character development achieved by this film.
All in all, this is not a dumbed-down ghost story but rather an intricate tale of love, pain and redemption. The film's ending sums these remarks up superbly.