The Orphanage

  Flashback to Fall 2009. 17-year-old Harrison was taking a Film Studies class his senior year of high school. No one in my class had heard of the film when our teacher (also the principal) announced it for our lesson on foreign films, but it was clear almost immediately that the entire class was hooked from the very beginning. By the end of the film even the stoic football player I sat next to was in tears.

The Orphanage was written by Sergio G. Sánchez (The Impossible) and directed by J. A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom). The Orphanage was made on a budget of $4 millions, made $233,323 upon opening, and went on to make $78,638,987 worldwide. It was released on September 10, 2007 and received positive reviews (it received a 10 minute ovation upon its premiere at Cannes). 

The Orphanage follows Laura (Belén Rueda, Julia’s Eyes) who purchases the orphanage she grew up in to reopen it as a school for children with special needs. After her adopted son Simón (Roger Prínceps, Brava) goes missing, Laura begins experiencing supernatural events in the house that she believes are responsible for his disappearance. 

 Rueda is the beating heart of this film. While the entire cast impresses, it’s her heartrending performance that pulls the film together. This is particularly true in the last act when she largely has to carry the film entirely by herself (give or take a few ghostly children).

Bayona’s direction is excellent. I was surprised to learn that this was his debut feature, because the confidence shown behind the camera feels like a seasoned professional. He creates an atmosphere of dread and horror that envelops the audience just as it does Laura. Bayona keeps the gore and jump scares to a minimum, making them all the more effective when they do occur.

While presented and masquerading as a horror film it would be more accurate to call The Orphanage a family tragedy. It’s hauntingly beautiful and devastating but not completely devoid of hope. I highly recommend this film.

Rating: 5 treasure hunts out of 5

Other Observations: 

• Does the Dog Die? No animals are harmed.

• Harrison’s Favorite Scare: The entire sequence of Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin, Nashville) contacting the spirits in the house. It’s super moody and the children screaming about being poisoned is chilling.

Next Week: I’m checking out a new one for me, The Tingler.