Orphan

It has been a long time since I saw a new ‘evil child’ movie, and this is one of the best to come out since the original Omen. Our story deals with a couple, played by Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard, who have recently lost their last baby. So, they decide to adopt a child, to accompany their older son and younger, and deaf, little sister. They adopt a very intelligent, very mature and friendly little girl named Esther, born in Eastern Europe but with a very good English accent. Soon, she forms a bond with the family, but she is not perfect, and things start going very wrong very quickly.
This movie received a lot of positive feedback from horror fans, and the controversy surrounding the adoption agencies that got some sand in their vagina peaked my interest, so I decided to finally see it. Better late than never, I guess. And I loved it. The acting is excellent. Vera Farmiga is an excellent actress, as shown in The Departed, and gives a very flawed, very human performance. I was endeered to her character and was behind her 100%. Of course, that helps because of the acting of Isabelle Fuhrman, who plays Esther. Boy, I have hated me some kids in my day, but no kid has received that much hate in my life as this movie one. She is evil, manipulative, and mature in a level way beyond what you would think. Of course, this all adds to a great twist in the third act about who she is, a twist that is genuinely frightening, just one of the best in slasher history.
There are one big flaw, and that’s Peter Sarsgaard’s character. He’s clueless all over and surprisingly dull. When he gets his inevitable demise, you’re hardly surprised. I felt more sorry for Vera’s character, having such a piece of wood for a husband. But still, this is a great horror film, and one of the scariest of the year. Dark Castle finally made one right.