Engaging and well acted dramatic thriller.

Rating: 7/10 (20 January 2008)

"The Orphanage" was less a horror film and more a dramatic thriller. There were only a few scary moments and the rest was a suspenseful drama dealing with some pretty serious subject matter.
Although it was very predictable, the eerie sense of dread lingering throughout the film kept me interested in how the story would unfold. The acting was above the current industry standard (which doesn't say much, really) but the film as a whole was really no better than any good Hollywood thriller like "The Sixth Sense." There were numerous holes in the plot, but I gave them their creative license and enjoyed the film for what it was worth. I felt as if it is getting such good reviews simply because it has subtitles which somehow legitimizes it.
I'm rating it with a high "7" because at least they didn't rely on unnecessary scare tactics to keep the audience placated. There was actually a story to be told and attention needed to be paid by the viewer. Just beware of the trailers which make this film look like the horror movie it is not. No doubt Hollywood will remake it in a year or two and suck all the life from it...