Compelling storyline, slick direction

Rating: 8/10 (20 August 2009)

I would have a hard time classifying El Orfanto as a horror film or a fantasy film since it brings in the best of both the worlds. The story moves along gently and lets the pieces of a puzzle fall into place with time. The direction and the screenplay was flawless and suit the pace of the movie. The entire mystery is portrayed through the eyes of Rueda and she does the job superbly as a protagonist. For a film involving spirits and ghosts I was expecting a lot of off the wall scenes. At the end I felt none of the scenes were induced and every scene was required to solve the pieces. This is a mark of a genius for a debut film maker like Bayona. 8/10.