The Orphanage
With fond memories of the seaside orphanage where she was raised, Laura (Belén Rueda) persuades her husband (Fernando Cayo) to help her revamp it as a facility for disabled children. But once they move in, their son Simón (Roger Príncep) begins to exhibit dark and disturbing behavior. As Laura tries to understand Simón's increasingly malevolent actions, she becomes drawn into the house's terrifying secrets in this gothic chiller.
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» Reviewed by 15 people
Movies with scary kids and masks creep me out. So I was a little disappointed that I didn't find this film to be terribly scary. It had a few moments and some decent shots/cinematography, but overall, it felt like a foreign-film rehash of stuff I'd seen before (The Others being the most obvious example). I'd say pass on this.- CO 1521212
A nicely subtle spooky movie with a great location and believable characters. The Orphanage was creepy in a lot of really brilliant ways that you don't see in big budget Hollywood films. There is no gore either, in case that is a factor for you.
- Shawn S.
The Orphanage is a modern take on the old haunted house motif, and is one of the most genuinely frightening movies in recent memory. It also features one of the best endings.
- SF 857141
what a great movie , not outright "horror" but certainly creepy and intense. Think more along the lines of Pans Labyrinth rather than The Ring. Good believable acting , fantastic story and quite a good "twist" toward the end. If you're not bothered by reading subtitles i would highly recommend this movie.
- GM1977
This movie is an extremely good ghost story. It does make a person jump a few times, and it certainly keeps you guessing until it finishes. Extremely suspensful and totally worth the subtitles. For those who've rated this movie 1 star just because it has subtitles, shame on you. It's an amazing movie, and don't judge it just because it has subtitles. That's a stupid thing to do. Don't misuse the review system.
- Sgbtmk
Strange film. Not exactly sure how I feel about this one. It was a little creepy in parts but mostly not so much. Laura buys the old orphanage that she grew up in until she was adopted. Her son begins seeing other children and her husband doens't want to stay there any longer especially when their son turns up missing the mystery ensues and she battles to find her son and why he has been taken and WHO has taken him. The ending is a little out there but I guess for some it will be satisfactory. For people who do not like subtitles aviod this film as it is all in French. Otherwise if your looking for a horror...this is barly in that catigory...MAYBE suspense but not really...maybe more of a drama in my opinion. Nothing to rush for here. Use the Instant watch on this one...so u don't waste a rental.
- *~*Sullivans*~*
The first half-hour of this film is a little slow, mainly because the plot treads along some well-worn paths in the horror/suspense genre... Woman returns to a place she grew up, which is now overgrown & creepy, child has a fascination with imaginary friends that turn out not to be so imaginary, creepy caretaker shows up & acts creepy, etc. However, once the film gets going, it improves significantly all the way to the end. Not as good as The Devils Backbone or Pans Labyrinth (the obvious antecedents to this film), but good enough to be on the same shelf as them.
- Chucky
Wow this was great it was definetly creepy. Laura was Orphan and is now an adult with an adoptive child of her own Years after the ophange has shut down She gets her husband to reopen it as a home for disabled children. They never told thier son Simón 5 yr old he was adopted or he was Hiv-postive. Laura takes him to the beach when they return home he draws a pic of his friend Tomás who wears a sack mask. He tells his parents they met at the beach & he has 6 imaginary friends. Laura is hosting a welcome party for the disable children. She wants to introduce Simón to the other kids but he refuses cause he wants to show her Tomás's house. Laura goes back to party comes back for Simón shortly after and he's vanished. This had me on edge of my seat. If you like foreign flims check this out. New Line Cinema bought the rights to produce an English-language remake 5/25
- RoUgH WaVe
Lets get a few things out of the way. If you are expecting a horror movie, an English language movie and a Guillermo del Toro movie, its safe to say youll only get one of those. While his name is right on the front cover, he did not direct. The movie is so much in his style though, that it feels like a sequel to Pans Labyrinth. Its a bit of a fairytale story, about mistreated orphan children. Its a plotting story that rewards you for sticking through to the end, even through some slow spots. I loved it, and you will too, if you go into it knowing that it has subtitles and it is not a horror movie. Some dont seem to understand that beforehand, and should have read the fine print.
- MCWHAMMER
The external story in this movie didn't hold together so well. I wondered early on why the mother didn't keep up better with her son - letting him check out the cave alone? But perhaps that was the setting where the boy could roam free. But then after that woman showed up to claim him, I wondered why she (the mother) wasn't more concerned for her son. And then would a loving husband allow a distressed wife to stay in the house alone? Seemed so improbable. But what I enjoyed so much was the tension and internal ghost/psychological undertone that oozed throughout this movie. There were parts that scared the heck out of me. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I'd have a heart attack. At first I thought I could not see to the end of the movie because I was scared! I'm glad I persevered, though, because the internal story was excellent! And I wonder if much of my fear was from my expectation of some horrible blood and gore scene. Ha! Happily such a scene never came, and the true mystery was a more complex and brilliant story. A mother's love for her child was the wonderful glue that held together the other themes of grapplings with fear, loss, despair and past, deep woundings.
- VJ Purplequeen
No gore. No cheap shots. No clever high budget CG creatures. The Orphanage is a fundamentally perfect cinematic ghost story. It has the creaky old house; in this case an abandoned orphanage. It has Laura played by Belen Rueda with all the vulnerability you could ever wish for. Theres an innocent child with an invisible friend. Finally, theres the horrific event that occurred years ago and created the malevolent spirits unleashed by the awakening of the house. Laura has fond memories of the seaside orphanage. She grew up there. She convinced her husband to move there with her young son, renovate and open it as a home for disabled children. All sound familiar doesnt. It is. Those ingredients have been used to create hundreds of motion pictures over the years. I takes real courage for a new director to risk a career making opportunity on such a worn theme. Or does it? Seems I left something out. The brilliant young director, Belen Atienza, has a friend and mentor named Guillermo del Toro. He is also one of the producers. The Sergio Sanchez script is so tight that at time you cant breathe. Cinematography, atmospherics, sets and performances are world class plus the director choices are so spot on that you would think The Orphanage had been directed by del Toro himself. This old fashioned ghost story will make you crawl out of your skin the way the horror films of the 1930s did to your grandparents. What do I say to that? Fantastic! I hope my thoughts are helpful 08/02/08 ~~~Wingz
- Wingz
From the start the overwhelming feeling this film evokes is one of sheer creepiness, the kind that makes the hair on your head, neck & arms stand up. I had goosebumps the whole time I was watching it. The mood is set from the beginning with an atmosphere of palpable dread (in part thanks to the old home and seaside village it takes place in), and the fear which it brews up early on never lets up, it only deepens as the film unfolds. This movie proves that an intelligent and truly scary film can be made without resorting to gore or the usual horror conventions. While there are a few shocking scenes, you won't find any mindless maiming or tortureporn here. It's more along the lines of a quiet, chilling ghost story, and perhaps (depending on your interpretation), a look at one womans decent into madness. By quiet I certainly don't mean slow or boring. No, I can tell you that I was far from the only one in the theater gasping and nearly jumping out of my seat during some key scenes. It's a simple story, but then it twists off into a number of unexpected, complex and spooky directions. At times it reminded me of The Others (Kidman), though certainly not a copy, and not as sparse. The influence of del Toro made itself known throughout the film, it had a similar feeling to his earlier movie The Devil's Backbone, while still asserting itself as something totally unique. It's a beautiful and well made film, the sort that will keep on bringing up the chills for you long after it's over. I'd like to watch this again just to pick up on some of the nuances and clues that I may have missed the first time around... but you can bet I won't be watching it alone or late at night!
- Anathema23
Excellent Spanish gothic film by first time director Juan Antonia Bayona that feels like and Edgar Allan Poe poem. Along the lines of "The Devil's Backbone", and "The Others", this Spanish film proves to be a great haunting movie. Creepy in all the right places. Suspense builds throughout the movie at a perfect pace; this is basically the perfect formula film. First off, the acting is phenomenal. Every single actor, especially Belen Rueda, delivers an exquisite performance that comes off naturally. The film itself is the perfect formula for a horror movie. But herein lays one of the few flaws of this film: it is too formulaic. If you have seen as many horror/suspense movies as I have, you will be able to predict what happens in this film to a T. A bit predicable to the horror fan, the movie still manages to deliver great suspenseful scenes that made pause and become absorbed in the film. There were some scenes that should have been edited out, but the film had a great pacing, building the suspense on each and every scene. The movie had great pacing and great horror moments that left you wanting to see more. The cinematography and direction are the best aspects of this movie and what gives it that great feeling of suspense throughout. The storyline itself was pretty good, but left many things unexplained. I think that many aspects were inconclusive and unfinished. Still, the film is really good and it is one to watch. And the twist...you won't see it coming.
- Goddess
Excellent film. Dark atmosphere....very good use of music to provide some chills. Great acting done by everyone. The story was very depressing...especially when you figure out what really happened...that's when this movie just makes you want to cry. Great horror film...that makes you think and one that isn't out to provide cheap thrills. I would totally recommend this film. Spanish films rules.
- grayeyes043
I made the mistake of watching The Orphanage by myself late at night. By the end, my heart was racing like I just ran a marathon. This film is one of the spookiest, skin-crawly, pulse-pounding ghost stories I've seen in quite a long time. Guillermo del Toro (producer) and Juan Antonio Bayona have made a brilliant film full of heartbreak, revenge, mystery and sheer creepiness. The acting, score, cinematography and an ending you don't see coming elevate this film above the typical horror flick. If you like excellent ghost stories, The Orphanage delivers on every level.
- pterosaur