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The Orphanage

The Orphanage (2007)

December. 28,2007
|
7.4
|
R
| Drama Horror Thriller

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage, intent on reopening it. Before long, her son starts to communicate with a new invisible friend.

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Reviews

Tayyab Torres
2007/12/28

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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Ella-May O'Brien
2007/12/29

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

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Kinley
2007/12/30

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

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Logan
2007/12/31

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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Osmosis Iron
2008/01/01

Another great Spanish horror film from the 00's! Much like the others it's more atmospheric and psychological type than a gorefest. I would describe it as something what you'd get when you crossed Pan's Labyrinth with The Others... very emotional!

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Mace
2008/01/02

J.A. Bayona and Guillermo del Toro's The Orphanage is a masterfully crafted piece of Spanish horror that transcends high above the relatively low bar set for the genre. While consistently suspenseful and dark, the story is told in a oddly beautiful way. This isn't the average horror film where the fear is generated from gory images or cheap scares, but rather it's atmosphere and emotional tension and eventual deterioration of our main character. The Orphanage is bold and takes many risks, most of which pay off, but what impressed me the most was the elegance and maturity showcased by Bayona in his debut feature. Guillermo del Toro's influence on the film is immediately noticeable as every aspect within the film is executed with a sense of macabre beauty, from the breathtaking shots to the excellently detailed setting.The cast is fairly limited and the story strongly hinges on our emotional connection to our main character played by Belén Rueda. She was simply excellent as we witness her character slowly starts to lose her grip on everything she believes. She's a strong, determined female character who emits a confidence that is reflected not only in herself, but the entire film as a whole. The Orphanage is a film for the patient and at times it seems more of a film for movie-lovers rather than actual horror fans. The atmosphere and tone drive the story forward, and while a few scares occur now and then, it's the unwavering sense of dread that makes the experience relentlessly suspenseful at times. And once we begin to uncover the truth behind the film's many mysteries, these moments of suspense intensify. While there are a few scenes of far-fetched violence that the director seems to indulge in, he never gets lost in it. The main thing that sets The Orphanage apart from most other horror movies is the amount of heart the film features. The story is hauntingly sad, but once we begin to solve the film's mysteries, it only becomes even more heartbreaking. The use of child ghosts may seem eye-rolling at first, but the idea is never exploited and even adds to the emotional impact. The ending is really hit-or-miss for most people but I found it to be the perfect way to wrap up such a beautiful and emotional tale of love and loss. It may not be endlessly re-watchable as the film does drag on at times, but if you can make it past some slow stretches, the payoff more than makes up for these moments. The Orphanage is a smart, elegant and sophisticated horror film. The cinematic and acting prowess from the cast and producers in unquestionable and in turn works to make the viewing experience all the more rich. While it can't be said for many of the genre, The Orphanage is a horror film built completely off the emotions of it's story, character's and the feelings it evokes from the audience. Where most horror films aim to make you faint, The Orphanage aims to make you cry.

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begob
2008/01/03

A wife returns with her husband and child to live at the old orphanage from which she was adopted, but the secrets of the past return to haunt her family ...A tragic tale that delivers not just on ghostly menace but on pathos and humanity too. A slow build up is punctuated with a few effective jump scares, but the story changes gear during an imaginative treasure hunt and comes to its climax with near perfection.The plot is a little underdeveloped, leaving the odd hole, and some of the dialogue is misjudged - especially in a Q&A scene at about 40 mins - but all that is forgiven as the director brings it home on a wave of emotion.The performances are good, and the lead actress is outstanding: not just fascinating in close-up but a treat for the eyes as well.Music was sometimes too playful - in a horror that can be a sign of the director losing his nerve, but it didn't spoil the tone. Photography was good, with beautiful locations and a stylish circling pan of the actress in a crucial scene towards the end.Overall: a little shaky, but a pleasure for even seasoned horrorists.

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mirandacfoster
2008/01/04

i found this movie, English trailer and everything, it looked really good, until i found out it wasn't actually in English. I'm dyslexic, i can barley type, let alone try and read English subtitles for and hour or 2. I find it extremely offensive that the US and Canada offer Spanish, french, Swedish etc. versions but a lot of other places (not all thank god) don't think to make English versions. If they did they would get a lot more positive reviews and make more money from the film. Even the girl with the dragon tattoo series made English versions, and i can honestly say i'm Very happy they did because its still a favorite series to this day. i love watching foreign movies because they have such creative, gory imaginations, and when they come in English that just makes it 10x better. I don't care that the original is in another language but at least convert it to English. I even found a french version over English which i was surprised about considering the worlds top three most spoken languages are Chinese, Spanish and English. So unfortunate and disappointing about this movie. No stars given, since i cant even watch it.

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