Movie Review: El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
One of the best horror movies I've seen in years.
The Orphanage is an underdog Spanish movie which provides a very fresh change to the endless cheesy American horror flicks that's been hoarding the theaters recently. The movie revolves around Laura (Belén Rueda) who buys the orphanage she grew up in and moves in with her family. Together with her doctor husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), they raise their adopted and disease-stricken son, Simon (Roger Príncep) and opens a home for handicapped children.
The horror starts when her son starts playing a game of scavenger hunt with his invisible friends. After his sudden disappearance, Laura is convinced that the supernatural has abducted her son. She seeks help from a medium who gives her some sound advice. Forced to play the game herself and led by the clues around the house, Laura discovers disturbing secrets about what happened to her friends in the orphanage after she was adopted from the home years ago.
The movie adapts an elaborate treasure hunt where each clue leads Julia to another clue, and another, as the plot reveals itself. Highly unpredictable, the nice twist at the end makes the whole plot even more believable.
The Orphanage is really one unforgettable horror movie which will keep you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. . The only downside to this movie is you have to read from the subtitles, but if that doesn't bother you that much or if you understand Spanish, I highly recommend watching this movie.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars
Labels: Discussion, Not about school
