Common Sense Media Review
By James Rocchi
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bad Seed-style horror movie is gory and ludicrous.
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Orphan
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 29 parent reviews
Based on 147 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a well-crafted thriller that features disturbing themes and graphic content, making it appropriate for mature audiences 15 and older. While many enjoyed the plot twists and strong performances, several reviews caution against younger viewers due to intense violence and sexual scenes, emphasizing the importance of parental discretion and maturity in deciding whether to watch.
- mature themes
- graphic content
- intense violence
- strong performances
- parental discretion
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
After a miscarriage, parents John and Kate Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga) decide to adopt a third child into their family. Polite, reserved, and formal, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) seems like the perfect addition ... but she soon reveals a manipulative, malevolent side. Is Esther simply trying to fit in and gain a little social advantage in the family, or does she have a darker agenda in mind?
Is It Any Good?
If Orphan were more exuberant -- a bit more diabolically crazy, a bit more swiftly paced -- it might be fun; as it is, the film bogs down over its two-plus hours. Farmiga and Sarsgaaard are both good -- even if they're forced, by circumstance, to play people far stupider than they are -- but they can't break out of the script's narrow confines. Fuhrman lends a certain chill to Esther's crazier moments, but, at the same time, she's hampered by the story's contortions and weaknesses. Watching Orphan, you can't help but think that what was really needed wasn't an artist's hand on the camera but, rather, an editor's hand applied to the screenplay.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, ORPHAN is clearly trying to follow in the footsteps of other bad-kid horror/thriller efforts like The Bad Seed and The Good Son. But even with the presence of the always-watchable Farmiga and Sarsgaard, Orphan buckles and breaks under the sheer weight of its own excess, piling ludicrous plot hole upon ludicrous plot hole and excuse upon excuse in the pursuit of thrills, chills, and rough, tough action.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Is it more or less realistic than what you've seen in other thrillers/horror movies? How does that affect its impact?
How do you feel about the fact that a child is the one committing the movie's most horrible acts?
Does the movie's twist let the filmmakers off the hook for some of the more extreme moments?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 24, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : October 27, 2009
- Cast : Isabelle Fuhrman , Peter Sarsgaard , Vera Farmiga
- Director : Jaume Collet-Serra
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 123 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language
- Last updated : August 6, 2022
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