El orfanato

Plot synopsis:
The film is set in Spain, where Laura (Belén Rueda) returns to the dilapidated orphanage where she grew up, accompanied by her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo), and their seven-year-old son, Simón (Roger Princep). Her plan is to reopen the orphanage as a facility for disabled children. Once there, Simón claims that he sees a friend named Tomás, whom he draws as a child wearing a sack mask. Later, Benigna, the social worker (Montserrat Carulla), visits the orphanage and tells Laura that she has Simón's adoption file. Laura becomes angry at Benigna's intrusion and sends her away. That night, Laura finds Benigna snooping around her garden shed, but Benigna escapes before Laura can confront her. Later, Simon teaches Laura a type of scavenger hunt game that Tomás taught him. The game involves hiding a person's possessions, with the player who recovers his final possession winning a wish. While playing the game, Laura discovers Simón's adoption file is missing and angrily accuses Simón of hiding it. An angry Simón denies this and says that Tomás told him that Laura is not his real mother and that he is going to die.Later, at a children's party at the Orphanage, Laura and Simón argue, and Simón hides from Laura. Laura looks in the bathroom, only to be confronted with a boy in a sack mask with the name "Tomás" embroidered onto his shirt. When Laura approaches Tomás, he traps her in the bathroom. Laura escapes and frantically searches for Simón. She sees a vague figure of a boy standing in a cave in the distance; in her haste to go to the figure, Laura trips and injures herself. At a medical center, the police psychologist, Pilar (Mabel Rivera), suggests to Laura and Carlos that Benigna may have abducted Simón. That night at home, a bedridden Laura hears unexplained banging in the walls.Months later, Laura and Carlos spot Benigna pushing a baby carriage downtown. As Laura calls out to her, Benigna is suddenly hit and killed by a speeding ambulance. Laura rushes to Benigna's carriage, but finds only a doll wearing Tomás' sack mask. With this clue, Police search Benigna's home and find evidence revealing that Benigna worked at the orphanage long ago. Pilar shows Laura an old photo of a young Benigna (Carol Suárez) and her deformed son named Tomás. Laura learns that the children of the orphanage played a trick on Tomás, which led to his accidental death.In desperation, Laura goes to a medium named Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin), seeking clues to her son's disappearance. The medium tells Laura that she is close to death, and so has the ability to see the dead.Unable to cope with the situation, Carlos leaves the orphanage, and Laura takes sedatives to get into a state of near-death. She begins to see ghost children around her who lead her to a hidden door which leads to a basement room. Here, she finds Simón alive and hugs him in a blanket.She tells Simón to think about what he's going to do when he grows up, next year's Christmas, and anything that will make the children go away. As the ghost children vanish, Laura sees the basement back to the present. She then finds the blanket in her hands as light as a feather. She drops the blanket to realize Simón is gone again. She turns around to see the rails of the stairs to the basement had been broken. Lying right beneath the stairs, Laura sees a body of a young child with Tomás's sack mask on. She slowly approaches the motionless body and takes off the mask to realize the body is actually her son, Simón, but dead. She cries in pain and grief. She then realizes that when she threw the metal poles in the closet leading to the basement, she trapped Simón inside. The big crash she heard in the middle of the night was Simón falling to the ground by the stairs. So Simón had been wearing Tomás's mask all along. Laura then carries Simón's body upstairs and swallows all her medication, begging to be with Simón again. Laura's wish is granted as the ghosts of the dead children appear and Simón comes to life in Laura's arms.Alone outside the orphanage, Carlos walks over the gravestones for Laura and Simón who both were found dead while he was gone. Carlos returns to their old bedroom and finds a medallion that he gave to Laura on the floor. Carlos hears the sound of the bedroom door opening. When he moves his head up, he smiles. Screen cuts to black.

Tags: paranormal, horror, gothic, depressing, fantasy

Review:
'El Orfanato' surprised me first in successfully thrilling me with its surface, and surprised me again in how deeply it moved me with its core.When Laura (the marvelous Belén Rueda) moves back into the house that used to be the orphanage she lived in as a girl, she is thirty-seven, married, and she and her husband have adopted a son - Simón, a little boy with HIV who doesn't know that he's terminally ill or adopted.
The story dragged a little towards the end and during the scene with the medium - cutting it just a little shorter might have been equally as effective and easier on the viewer.Bottom line: even if you don't like "scary" movies (like me), you'll probably still appreciate and enjoy the more thrilling aspects.
Together with her husband and adopted son Simon, Laura tries to make the huge old building ready to receive it's first new residents, but all is not quiet in the dusty rooms and grounds, and gradually she starts to feel sinister presences from the past making themselves known.The film strings out quite a good story, blending traditional scares (bumping noises heard through walls and doors, silently appearing children in masks) with modern touches (Simon is HIV positive).
Laura (Belen Rueda) returns to the orphanage she spent time in as a child with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and little boy Simon (Roger Princep) in hopes of re-establishing it as seaside retreat for children with disabilities only to find there may be some former residents who never left.
In Juan Antonio Bayona's tightly wound "The Orphanage" nothing is as it seems and child's play takes on sinister overtones.Bayona belongs to this new wave of Spanish-language directors (most notably Del Torro and Amenabar) who excel when it comes to creating moody atmospheric tales of the supernatural with Catholic overtones.
Laura returns with her family to the orphanage she grew up in as a child, she reopens it for handicapped children and all is going to plan until her son starts communicating with an invisible friend...Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona & produced by Guillermo del Toro, this Spanish picture is a delightful antidote to the ream of gore for gore sake movies flooding the market on a seemingly daily basis.
The story is a creepy one, and there is always an added air of unease when children are the focal point of the piece in question, and sure enough this central concept of troubled children and troubled childhoods gets the maximum amount of emotion from the viewing public.It's hard to write anymore than I have without delving deeper into the story and it's significant turn of events, suffice to say I feel this is a wonderful creepy, and at times beautiful, film that prospective viewers would be better off going into devoid of any prior knowledge.
Bayona directs carefully, and it's evident that he is benefiting from the guiding hands of his gifted producer, but his marker is here and I'll be keeping an eye out for future efforts from the young Spaniard.A smashingly engaging film that is in the vein of Robert Wise's The Haunting & Alejandro Amenábar's The Others, so if you like real well told ghost stories that unhinge rather than shock you, get in the queue because El Orfanato is a real pleasure.
Obviously it's an extremely professionally made film, with a handful of memorable style elements and effective jump moments, but in the end it really isn't much more than just another derivative and predictable 'ghosts from the past coming back to haunt us' tale that lack the courage to go very far.
Will I see "Sweeney Todd?" Sure I will -- just as soon as pigs fly out my rear end whistling the "Colonel Bogey March." But I went to see "El Orfanato" because I gathered that it was more of a ghost story than a horror film, and that it was more of a thoughtful reflection on The Unseen World, like "Don't Look Now," or "The Sixth Sense," than a movie whose main purpose was to scare the bejabbers out of the audience.And so it turned out to be.
We learn that Laura was an inmate of an orphanage, that she was adopted away from the orphanage, and that she has, at the present time, returned to the old property with her husband and adopted child to create a home for neglected children.This movie, like "Sixth Sense" (one of my all-time favorite films) is about love and death.
The movie might contain aspects of the Horror genre but I see it as a Drama film with Horror elements, that might be just as an interpretation.This film is about a kid that goes missing and his adoptive mother thinks it has something to do with his imaginary friends, of which are ghosts of children at the orphanage that once stood there.This may sound like a typical cliché pile-up no-brainer Horror film but this is certainly one of the better films of the genre, CARED for the characters and INTERESTED in the plot instead of the American crap like the Halloween remake.Overall, A very touching film that needs more praise.
However, there have been a few good chillers out there, such as "The Others" and "The Ring." And now, "The Orphanage," from acclaimed Spanish producer Guillermo del Toro, creeps its way into their ranks, while still being a genre-defying film.The story revolves around Laura, a woman who buys her childhood home in hopes of starting an orphanage for handicapped children with her husband Carlos.
Horror films are known for having some of the campiest acting out of all the film genres, but "The Orphanage" is one of those rare gems where the actors are so great they make you think, "Yeah, maybe they really are experiencing supernatural phenomena." And Kudos to Belén Rueda (Laura) for having the most range and believability in the entire movie.
This film has a different style of mystery, not the same we see in most of the horror/suspense movies in which the overact curiosity of the characters carry to cross the creepy door where are killed in the next shot with the axe or the saw, no..., this time the bad guy isn't the ghost.
Turn of the Screw by way of Others, Lord of the Flies, Sixth Sense, and myriad suspense, horror, and science fiction films and literature: The Orphanage is a respectable Spanish contribution to the depiction of children as masters of the house, be they real or spirits.The Orphanage has crisp cinematography that accentuates the old Orphanage's lurid corners and closets wherein may hide the supernatural forms of past inhabitants and the hope of the current mistress of the house to find her son lost to the history and lure of the home.The clichés of horror fiction abound: No one, much less physician husband, believes mom that the house is haunted; the admirable score provides a measure of scary telegraphing; each nook and cranny has the potential to shock the unwary; the denouement is predictable right down to the conversion of the most wary.
There is little blood, just enough disfigurement, and surprises such as the haunting cameo by Geraldine Chaplin, a medium heating the suspense and converting the skeptical.Like any thinking person's sojourn into the spiritual, the Orphanage doesn't quickly make a case for ghosts; rather it poses questions such as how far into a psyche should a mother go before Oedipus kicks up a royal storm, or how far a husband, or even responsible administrators should go to support an unstable-appearing wife.Nothing is new for the genre, but the look is classic, the acting above average, and the kids still hold the attention of adults, who, like the audience, know enough to respect the power of innocence unbound..
The story feels a little too familiar for most of it's length to quite make it too classic film status, although the last 10 minutes do elevate it to something more moving and more thoughtful than 95%of the genre pictures currently being made.Wonderfully acted by Belen Rueda, as a mother whose child mysteriously disappears.
They intend to re-open it as a home for disabled children, but as we get to know them the realisation dawns that they are not alone in the house.What starts with the premise of being a classic haunted house tale, including the new vogue for stories of this kind – i.e. creepy children, is actually transformed into something which takes it from a standard horror to something much more powerful.
Indeed, the creation and sustaining of the atmosphere is probably the films highest point, because it build in you a classic horror tension, whilst letting you into the personal grief and sadness of Laura at the same time.There are some shock moments, and jumps hidden amongst the twists and turns of the plot, but this is not a film to see if you are looking to be scared witless by your horror.
The husband (Fernando Cayo), although only playing a comparatively minor role, draws sympathy as someone who is troubled by his subconscious attempts to normalise what is going on around him.This is not just a horror/thriller movie but a film about the beauty of family dynamics and what happens when something comes along that tries to disrupt them.
This hauntingly brilliant horror film stars Belen Rueda as Laura, a woman who brings her family back to her childhood home in order to re-open it as an orphanage.
The end of the movie also leaves something to be desired, the movie, no matter how much it tried to trick the audience into thinking it was a serious movie, they just could not stick with the sad ending, they had to give a positive, cheerful note at the end, just in case people get too disturbed, let's kill the little dark overtone of having a boy with AIDS, I can see the producers and Bayona, "let's give it a Pan's Labyrinth touch, that worked last year right?" The movie also makes the stupid cliché of having the protagonist discover the most retched, scary places imaginable, and well, obviously, she is going to go in, alone, with out a flashlight, cause if she doesn't, the movie can't be scary, and just when it gets too scary, someone walks in and saves the day, just at the nick of time, well sure, cause if no one saved the protagonist from a heart attack, the movie would be over, an that is too much to hope for.Not to mention some incoherent elements like a woman mistaking red haired little girls for her brunette boy, and a mysterious and tool like character that makes no sense, has no beginning, and no end, and only works for comedy and terror and to tie in a plot hole.Aside from creating a convincing looking set, the movie really has nothing worth mentioning, or remembering, cause I already could mention and already remembered all the things that happened on this movie, from other, better movies.This is the epitome of uninspired cinema, and it's a shame that just cause del Toro put his name in it, distributors and audiences were suckered in on it..
Can we go home again?What if you never grew up?These are a few questions you may ask of yourself as you leave the theater after "The Orphanage." This film is equal parts dark-fantasy and ghost-story, a parable for the beloved kid's tale Peter Pan as well as a tale of spectral children.
Very suspenseful, this film does a wonderful job luring you into genuine jump moments hook, line and sinker, and at the same time crafts a beautiful story.Our characters are developed with care, whether living or dead.
These are ghosts that will scare you and keep you jumping, but they are real characters as opposed to the monsters waiting in the dark.This film is an archetypal hero's journey, where our protagonist is drawn into a world of mystery at a careful pace, shuddering at times to leave us guessing, and rolling along at a terrifying clip at others.
Guillermo del Toro has a production credit on this film; and it's a real shame that some of his creativity didn't rub off on director Juan Antonio Bayona, because The Orphanage has nothing on 2001's orphanage-set ghost story 'The Devil's Backbone'.
Laura has decided to reopen the orphanage specifically for disabled children; but the opening day turns sour when her son begs his adopted mother to see something, but ends up being ignored On the technical side, there's really nothing wrong with this film.
Melodramatic ghost story about a woman named Laura (Belen Rueda of Alejandro Amenábar's The Sea Inside , she was the first choice for the lead from the start) with tortured soul who brings her family formed by her husband (Fernando Cayo) and adopted seven-year-old son named Simon (Roger Princep, over 400 children auditioned for the role) back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for physically handicapped children .
Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend and chime with recollections from Laura's own childhood .Spanish horror film full of thrills , suspense , chills , intrigue and plot twists .
I personally find ghost films to be the scariest kind of horror in that they rely on suspense and atmosphere to frighten as opposed to loud sound effects and jump scares and in that regard, 'The Orphanage' really delivered.My only complaint was that there were scenes in the film that really built up the suspense but then fell flat and left me wanting more but overall, I was impressed.
Cleverly plotted, it dares to take its time to create the required atmosphere rather than prematurely rushing into scaring its audience like so many horror films do nowadays.The Orphanage concerns Laura; a former orphan who returns with her husband & son back to her childhood home which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children, which she hopes to reopen again.
Although the horror genre has always been difficult to define I would rather refer to this movie as an exercise in suspense mixed with a good old-fashioned ghost story.
There are jump scares and horror clichés aplenty but the film is smart enough to play with these conventions in a number of smart ways.A married couple with an ailing, adopted son move to a mansion in the country with the intention of setting up a care home for disabled children.
Too many times, in big budget Hollywood movies, I've got the whole thing wrapped up in the first 30mins but not in the Orphanage.A friend warned me 'it's not a horror.' He was right it's a dark, captivating thriller, a classic and a must see.P.S. If you can't speak Spanish, be prepared for half a screen full of subtitles that give you a split second to read them.
Produced by the great Guillermo del Toro and directed by Spain's new hot shot director, Juan Antonio Bayona, the film has some very basic, even cliché, story lines and premises.
The best moments are the "little" things and I really enjoyed Geraldine Chaplin's time as the medium.OK, it is a horror movie, but this is a very good performance from Bolen Rueda, who was so memorable in "The Sea Inside".
Sánchez, for whom this marks only his third of five screenplays, and director Bayona helming his first theatrical film.One of the best ghost story fables to come along since 2001's The Others, the movie tells the story of Laura who, along with her husband Carlos, purchase the vacant orphanage in which she spent her childhood.
All of which leads to a terrifying and emotionally draining end.Thanks to del Toro, The Orphanage carries much of the look and feel of Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone, two films equally obsessed with the plight of children in harms way.
Directed by Spanish first timer Juan Antonio Bayona, the film see's Laura, who grew up an orphan herself, raising her adopted son Simón with her husband Carlos in an old house and former orphanage where she was raised.
It all sounds like a great premise to a good movie, and while the Orphanage isn't all that bad, there are quite simply not enough big moments in the film to warrant it a five star rating.
Part of what some are describing as a new wave of Spanish Horror (as influenced by last years superb Pans Labyrinth), The Orphanage sees director Juan Antonio Bayona take over duties from Guillermo del Toro, who is wearing the producers hat this time round.
Watched this film last night and had high hopes on it as most reviews I read are very positive.I can say I am not disappointed.El Orfanto(The Orphanage)is truly an amazing Spanish chiller thats in my opinion even better than the excellent Pans Labyrinth.Laura goes back to here childhood home with her husband Carlos and adoptive son Simon.Laura was as a child living at an orphanage and now have plans to restart it again.Soon things starts to happen.Simon here son speaks about he got new friends,but Laura & Carlos never see any.I will not give away anything more about the plot,but I can say its a damn good horror film thats both creepy&Atmospheric.Excellent acting and truly near Oscar performance by Belen Rueda as Laura.Music soundtrack is great and scary.The Director J-A-Bayona does a good job and the film is beautifully shot.Even my girlfriend who don't like horror-films and thinks they are most silly thought it was scary as hell.Many times she had a pillow over here face.Maybe not anything if you only like horror-films like Hostel&Saw,but if you like me also can see horror movies without any blood and gore you probably like it.I Highly recommend it and give it full points 10/10..
In a time when horror movies have forgotten how to be atmospheric and scary, The Orphanage shows you it can be done right.