Directed by:
J.A. BayonaScreenplay:
Sergio G. SánchezCinematography:
Oscar FauraComposer:
Fernando VelázquezCast:
Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin, Mabel Rivera, Edgar Vivar, Roger Príncep, Andrés Gertrúdix, Montserrat Carulla, Óscar CasasVOD (2)
Plots(1)
A couple's son begins exhibiting disturbing behavior shortly after the family revamps and moves into a facility for disabled children. (Netflix)
Videos (3)
Reviews (8)
I’m not a fan of horror films, I watch most of them through my fingers, with the volume very low and all the lights on. I’m such a wuss :) This film doesn’t have guts or similar disgusting stuff, nor does it have an excessive amount of scares, but the horror touch is created by a mysterious, dark atmosphere. And that ending... WOW! It blew my mind and I think it’s one of the best movie ending ever. One of the few horror films I would recommend.
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It's a good genre film, without any serious flaws or mistakes, and it’s actually refined to the point where I felt perfect sterility. The family relationships are sketched very broadly, without any intimacy, so I didn't even remotely believe in the protagonist’s obsession with finding her son. Admittedly, it has its good moments, and the point is a pleasant surprise, but the path to it all is too formally transparent. I give it a better three stars.
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Along with Persepolis and In Bruges, this was my strongest film experience of this year, which provided me the great experience of an honest, stylish, and haunting spectacle, supported by a strong story, well-chosen exteriors, high-quality performances, good camera work, and a few clever directing ideas. It is exactly the kind of film that leads to the urge to lower the ratings of several dozen other titles after watching it because many other genre films seem desperately superficial compared to The Orphanage, and which do not evoke fear, but rather satisfy sadistic desires hidden to some extent in each of us (Saw). The Orphanage is a film about the fear of losing a loved one and the fear of failure and personal responsibility. What could be more terrifying for a mother than the loss of her child? The Orphanage is a film that works without necessarily needing a gigantic budget and a barrage of grand special effects. Overall impression: 95%.
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A fairly decent dramatic horror film about a woman and dead children who want to play. And they mean it! It's that classic horror format again, with suspenseful and creepy music playing, and suddenly... boo! The setting of the old orphanage and especially the disfigured boy (he was scarier with the mask on than without) added to the gloomy atmosphere here. Belén Rueda and Geraldine Chaplin were good and convincing, and the final denouement was (at least for me) unexpected and quite harsh. In short, another in a line of horror films that stays above average in its execution.
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Bravo! The Spaniards confirm once more their privileged position on the horror scene. The Orphanage doesn’t surprise with an original plot but with its ability to generate true fear and tension through a strong effect on the subconscious. The entire film relies on a very carefully built atmosphere that forces the viewer to feel fear, even if there is nothing to really be afraid of, there aren’t any heart-attack inducing jump-scares, no manifestations of terrifying ghosts; everything works with sounds, plays with light and dark, and the camera movements.
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