There's Something Wrong With Esther....An Orphan Review

I have always been a big fan of psychological thrillers and suspense movies. There's something about the twisted tale of the demented human psyche that fascinates me. Besides romantic chick flicks, this genre is definitely one that I don't miss out on. From the time I saw the billboards in Edsa and teasers of the movie Orphan, I immediately knew I wanted to see it. I was definitely not disappointed!!!

The story revolves around an emotionally wounded family who is struggling to make sense of life after the tragic loss of an anticipated third child, who was stillborn. The couple, Kate (played by Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard), then decided to adopt a child in an attempt to regain a sense of normalcy to their strained relationship. They welcome to their family Esther, an adorable, talented and extraordinary 9-year old. Then trouble begins when Kate realizes something is wrong with Esther... I won't ruin the story for you but I hope I peaked your curiousity enough to want to go see it.

The movie went beyond just a typical psychological thriller to a full-fledged horror flick, minus all the ghoulish gory. I liked how the director fooled the audience repeatedly by making so many scenes to appear like a typical horror film with a different twist in the end. I could hear the audience gasp audibly every time the music swelled in anticipation of the shocker!

What I liked best about the film is how it really kept me at the edge of my seat for the entire time and despite me thinking "I know what will happen next" I was always proven wrong! Twelve year old Isabelle Fuhrman gave an outstanding performance as the mysterious lead character. Watching her reminded me of the very young Dakota Fanning's performance in the movie I am Sam. She was that captivating. Another extremely laudible performance was that given by eight year old Aryana Engineer who played the couple's young daughter, Max, who was profoundly deaf. Aryana, who happens to be hearing impaired and fluent in sign language and lip reading, showed amazing talent. I could really see the fear in her eyes and her emotions were so raw and real.

Orphan is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ("House of Wax") based on the screenplay by David Leslie Johnson and story by Alex Mace and is released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Orphan opens on July 29 in your local theaters. GO SEE IT!!!

Suffice it to say I LOVED this movie. A big thank you goes out to Warner Bros. Pictures for the invites to the special screening of the flick.