don't expect a great horror movie, expect something more -

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2008)

The Orphanage is not a horror film at all, if your looking for a rip their heads off film you will be disappointed. Sure there are scenes that are genuinely scary but they are few in number and not worth the wait. This film is for anyone who likes a good supernatural mystery, a film that comes to mind is Dragonfly (2002). The fun of the breadcrumb clues and puzzle solving will have to be enough for the audience to sit through the whole film, which it is if you like that stuff. The cinematography and location are incredible. It is the directors first feature film, which I think is unnoticeable, it is very well crafted. As you probably know Guillermo del Toro (Pans Labyrinth) produced this film and with good reason, it screams his style, his feeling of story telling; eerie and mystical with a hint of danger. So if you like a good supernatural mystery/thriller that has more emotion and drive than your typical horror film you will enjoy The Orphanage. If your just looking for a good horror movie scare, you wont get it; but you might get more out of the film than you think.