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The Orphanage

Original title: El orfanato
  • 20072007
  • 18A18A
  • 1h 45min
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
151K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,670
159
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
El orfanato (2007)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:13
3 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaHorrorMystery

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
151K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,670
159
  • Director
    • J.A. Bayona
  • Writer
    • Sergio G. Sánchez(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Belén Rueda
    • Fernando Cayo
    • Roger Príncep
Top credits
  • Director
    • J.A. Bayona
  • Writer
    • Sergio G. Sánchez(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Belén Rueda
    • Fernando Cayo
    • Roger Príncep
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 354User reviews
    • 319Critic reviews
    • 74Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 32 wins & 43 nominations

    Videos3

    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer 2:13
    Trailer [OV]
    U.S. trailer: The Orphanage
    Trailer 2:05
    U.S. trailer: The Orphanage
    The Orphanage
    Trailer 0:51
    The Orphanage

    Photos123

    Geraldine Chaplin in El orfanato (2007)
    Belén Rueda in El orfanato (2007)
    Óscar Casas in El orfanato (2007)
    El orfanato (2007)
    Belén Rueda in El orfanato (2007)
    Óscar Casas in El orfanato (2007)
    J.A. Bayona in El orfanato (2007)
    Belén Rueda at an event for El orfanato (2007)
    Belén Rueda at an event for El orfanato (2007)
    Belén Rueda, Guillermo del Toro, and J.A. Bayona at an event for El orfanato (2007)
    J.A. Bayona at an event for El orfanato (2007)
    Guillermo del Toro at an event for El orfanato (2007)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Belén Rueda
    Belén Rueda
    • Lauraas Laura
    Fernando Cayo
    Fernando Cayo
    • Carlosas Carlos
    Roger Príncep
    Roger Príncep
    • Simónas Simón
    Mabel Rivera
    Mabel Rivera
    • Pilaras Pilar
    Montserrat Carulla
    Montserrat Carulla
    • Benignaas Benigna
    Andrés Gertrúdix
    Andrés Gertrúdix
    • Enriqueas Enrique
    Edgar Vivar
    Edgar Vivar
    • Bálabanas Bálaban
    Óscar Casas
    Óscar Casas
    • Tomásas Tomás
    • (as Oscar Casas)
    Mireia Renau
    • Laura Niñaas Laura Niña
    Georgina Avellaneda
    • Ritaas Rita
    Carla Gordillo
    • Martínas Martín
    Alejandro Camps
    • Víctoras Víctor
    Carmen López
    • Aliciaas Alicia
    Óscar Lara
    • Guillermoas Guillermo
    • (as Oscar Lara)
    Geraldine Chaplin
    Geraldine Chaplin
    • Auroraas Aurora
    Enric Arquimbau
    • Jefe Grupo Terapiaas Jefe Grupo Terapia
    Blanca Martínez
    • Mujer Grupo Terapiaas Mujer Grupo Terapia
    Carol Suárez
    • Benigna Jovenas Benigna Joven
    • Director
      • J.A. Bayona
    • Writer
      • Sergio G. Sánchez(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Storyline

    Edit
    Laura, a former orphan, raises her adopted son Simón together with her husband Carlos in an old house and former orphanage where she was raised. While at the orphanage Simón tells Laura that he has five invisible friends which she believes are a product of his active imagination. Laura decides to reopen the orphanage to cater for disabled children and throws a party. During the party Simón tries to persuade Laura to go and take a look at his friends cabin but she's too busy. Later on she sees a mysterious masked boy and realizes that Simón has also disappeared. Laura feels the presence of other people in the house and months later Laura invites a team of parapsychologists to try to unravel the mystery. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    orphanagedead childrenmissing childorphanfemale protagonist119 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Un cuento de amor. Una historia de terror. [A love tale. A horror story.]
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • 18A
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When writer Sergio G. Sánchez told the little girl who plays the blind orphan that she had pretty eyes, she replied, "Oh, do you like them? I picked them out myself!". What he didn't know: She was diagnosed at a very young age with a degenerative eye disease that was going to leave her blind. One of the last things her parents did while she could still see was let her see a big selection of glass eyes and choose the ones she wanted.
    • Goofs
      In the film, we see the lighthouse shining directly on the orphanage. In reality, coastal lighthouses are shielded so their light does not shine on land.
    • Quotes

      Aurora: Seeing is not believing. It's the other way around. Believe, and you will see.

    • Crazy credits
      Pieces of wallpaper are peeled off to reveal each of the opening credits.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Bucket List/The Orphanage/The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep/There Will Be Blood/Honeydripper/Persepolis (2008)

    User reviews354

    Review
    Top review
    A satisfying thriller on one hand; an equally rich emotional journey on the other
    I went into a screening of this today knowing only that it was about a woman who buys the home she lived in as an orphaned child, planning to open it to other orphans, that it mixed fantasy and reality, and that Guillermo del Toro of 'Pan's Labyrinth' had a hand in it. I didn't have any expectations. Even if I did, I certainly not have expected what I got. 'El Orfanato' surprised me first in successfully thrilling me with its surface, and surprised me again in how deeply it moved me with its core.

    When Laura (the marvelous Belén Rueda) moves back into the house that used to be the orphanage she lived in as a girl, she is thirty-seven, married, and she and her husband have adopted a son - Simón, a little boy with HIV who doesn't know that he's terminally ill or adopted. Simón is wildly creative - he has several imaginary friends and a penchant for treasure hunts, mind games, and the story of Peter Pan. One day shortly after a mysterious visit from a social worker and Simón's revelation that he knows the truth about his adoption and illness, Simón disappears. The rest of the film follows Laura's desperate search for her son as she comes to terms with her loss and her own past as well.

    Screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez does a masterful job of balancing the thriller with the drama. Laura's attempts to connect with everything that haunts her and her home are darkly touching, though slightly psychologically twisted. The acting is strong, and the directing, editing, cinematography, and music all work together well. Some of the sound effects - the constant creaking, wind blowing, etc. - got wearisome as the film went on, and some of the thrills were a little cheap - I won't ruin it for anyone by revealing them - though, admittedly, they were effective all the same. The story dragged a little towards the end and during the scene with the medium - cutting it just a little shorter might have been equally as effective and easier on the viewer.

    Bottom line: even if you don't like "scary" movies (like me), you'll probably still appreciate and enjoy the more thrilling aspects. If you're a horror flick buff, you'll probably find some of the thriller elements a little tired and overdone. Either way, it's still worth seeing - the exploration of Laura's heart and mind are both lovely and tragic to behold, and though the film is morbid, it is beautiful as well.
    helpful•111
    28
    • nonsequitur247
    • Dec 8, 2007

    FAQ1

    • Is there going to be an English language remake like there have been with other foriegn horror films?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 2007 (Spain)
    • Countries of origin
      • Spain
      • Mexico
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Japan)
      • Official site (United States)
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El Orfanato
    • Filming locations
      • Llanes, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
    • Production companies
      • MEDIA Programme of the European Union
      • Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA)
      • Generalitat de Catalunya - Institut Català de les Indústries Culturals (ICIC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €3,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,161,284
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $233,323
      • Dec 30, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $78,638,987
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 45min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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