User reviews

The Orphanage is a slick and quietly chilling piece of work based around (what else?) an orphanage. A woman named Laura returns to the orphanage she grew up in as a child, with the intention of opening it up again as a home for children with disabilities. Together with her husband and adopted son Simon, Laura tries to make the huge old building ready to receive it's first new residents, but all is not quiet in the dusty rooms and grounds, and gradually she starts to feel sinister presences from the past making themselves known.

The film strings out quite a good story, blending traditional scares (bumping noises heard through walls and doors, silently appearing children in masks) with modern touches (Simon is HIV positive). Although most of the actual frights are on the soft side, the film does have quite away with sudden shocks, especially one great sequence involving the death of a sinister secondary character...you'll know when you see it! But mostly, things stay pretty calm, and there were times when I was wishing for something more visceral to actually happen, as many of the very well built tension sequences fade away without any cinematic pay-off, such as a very tense séance sequence, and in most of the (many) scenes of Laura alone in the orphanage, she being almost too subtly menaced for things to get really scary, which I think is a shame. However there are certain moments when you WILL jump!

However, The Orphanage still stands up as a strong piece of work. The backbone of the film is undoubtedly the strong performance by Belén Rueda as Laura, who carries the entire film admirably. The film looks great, with stunning photography and very elegant sets and a gorgeous building standing in for the orphanage itself. Sound and music work very well too, and the film succeeds in working many small elements together (such as a playground hiding game and some very clever revelations towards the end), so all in all, the film is an accomplished piece of cinema and well worth seeing, although don't expect too much real terror as most of the chills in this film are poetic rather than gruesome.

Laura (Belen Rueda) returns to the orphanage she spent time in as a child with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and little boy Simon (Roger Princep) in hopes of re-establishing it as seaside retreat for children with disabilities only to find there may be some former residents who never left. In Juan Antonio Bayona's tightly wound "The Orphanage" nothing is as it seems and child's play takes on sinister overtones.

Bayona belongs to this new wave of Spanish-language directors (most notably Del Torro and Amenabar) who excel when it comes to creating moody atmospheric tales of the supernatural with Catholic overtones. Whereas "Pan's Labyrinth" took a dark fantasy approach to a Passion Play, "The Orphanage" is closer to the classic haunted house themes of "The Others" as it attempts to give a sentimental view of life after death. Be warned, "The Orphanage" is often more sad than scary, and those not familiar with Catholic mysticism might find things a bit hard to believe. As goes the film's mantra...Believe, Then You Will See. Those with the patience and the heart will be greatly rewarded as the audience doesn't necessarily have to Believe to relate to the characters who do.

Working from refined "less is more" psychological horror templates, Bayona delivers the formulaic goods. There will be a simplistic but heartfelt exploration of grief. There will be allusions to classic literature (in this case a very nicely done "Peter Pan" as Catholic allegory motif). There will be uncovering dark secrets from the past. There will be precocious children with spooky imaginary friends. There will be creaking set designs and manipulative sound effects to create "gotcha!" moments. There will be a creepy medium (an excellent Geraldine Chaplin) brought in for a séance. And there will be a twist at the end.

Thankfully, there is also a great performance from Belen Rueda as Laura. She gives a compelling portrayal of a woman devoured by her loss and achingly desperate for the truth no matter how horrific that truth might be. One must have a cold heart not to find sympathy with her, and even the most hardened audience member will find it hard not to feel that stray tear form in the corner of their trembling eye when all is revealed. "The Orphanage" offers nothing terribly new, but sometimes the same old ghost story presented in a beautiful way makes for the best type of cold-rainy-day entertainment.

This film is less like a traditional horror movie and more of a drama/mystery with strong supernatural elements. The setup is that Laura, who once lived at an orphanage, returns to the orphanage with her husband and son to start it up again as a place for special needs children. Of course, it all seems simple, but there are mysteries abound in this story and the revelations trickle in over the course of the tale.

The film isn't particularly frightening, although it has a couple of jumpy moments. Rather than focusing on creating an atmosphere of fear, instead it works on drawing up sympathy for Laura's plight as events transpire against her and her family and the past comes back to haunt her. It's an interesting meditation on loss as well that had a wonderful potential to straddle the line between real-world and supernatural (but don't worry folks, it doesn't--it's firmly supernatural and you know it from early on). Nonetheless, that you could imagine this film working even if the supernatural elements were just in Laura's mind and that's a pretty good thing for the drama.

The technical aspects of the film are all sound (although I noticed a couple of background gaffs, but I think you'd have to look for them), with clear direction, capable lensing and design. The actors all do a good job of rendering their characters (children fare believably enough) and Belen Rueda carries the film well as the central protagonist. The story itself doesn't reach any great depths, but unraveling the mystery with the film is enjoyable.

It's nothing stunning, but in the world of horror films, it easily stands a shoulder above the regular flotsam that the genre tends to churn out. At that, it's no terrible film and could be recommended if you're looking for a relatively intelligent and well composed supernatural horror-type film. Just don't expect bloodbaths and constant shocks. 7/10.

Let me begin by saying I DON'T like horror movies. I don't enjoy jumping in my seat. I don't like being afraid of the dark for the next 2 days, and I usually HATE Spanish movies. So usually I only see the big horror classics, and that is because I've read enough spoilers to confront the movie in a laid-back way.

Having said this, I was dragged to see this movie against my will. And I was right! I have never, EVER, been more uneasy, uncomfortable on any movie, from the Exorcist to the Prophecy, from Psycho to Halloween. The story seems obvious; the cliché-horror themes are there, and while I saw them coming, I was comfortable enough. But then comes the movie, the script, the score, the acting, all in perfect harmony... and you jump, and you chill and you shout and you wish you had never entered that dammed cinema.

It is good. It is great.It is moving and horrifying. It does not need CGI, sound effects or unreal characters. Its there. Its real. Its haunting. It WILL be a classic.

Chapeau!

I saw this at the Frightfest and its AMAZING, did the previous reviewer even see it? No real shocks!!, I've never seen a cinema jump like the audience at Frightfest for this film. I'm kind of tempted to name the shocks but I wont. Its such a stunningly made film, creepy, atmospheric, shocking, great story, beautifully directed, the main woman is incredible. I was never really sure if it was supernatural or psychological, but as it reveals...wow, its excellent. Its so well done I cant write more without giving stuff away, but go and see it. I was expecting a low rent " pan's Labyrinth " but I think it might be even better than PL, though very different. Best film i've seen in ages

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.

Let me first say that this movie had some great scenes, and the creepy atmosphere was very well done.

Now lets talk about what I didn't like...

This whole movie was all about suspense. Lots of bumps and loud noises in the dark accompanied with suspenseful music. Most of these sequences lead up to absolutely nothing, which really takes away from the purpose of the suspense. I didn't care for any of the characters and there were only a few bits of interesting dialogue. Generally speaking this movie didn't have a whole lot of original material. The whole concept of the little kid having imaginary friends in a haunted house has been done in so many different movies I felt like I had already seen most of what this movie had to offer.

Attended the first commercial screening of The Orphanage (El Orfanato) last night at FrightFest, London.

Juan Antonio Bayona and writer Sergio G. Sanchez have delivered something really special for their first feature.

I have never jumped out of my seat like I did last night, nor my partner, nor most of the audience it seemed. Apart from the terrific scares, there are solid performances from the whole cast, stunning cinematography, and the editing is flawless. If I had to criticise one element, it is that the music swells just a little too much a couple of times, but it is a good score nonetheless.

See this one at the cinema.

I went to see this film not expecting too much and was therefore unmoved by the end credits. This is a film in the horror category that plays on atmosphere, camera style and storyline rather than sheer gore. To that end it's a decent enough effort. Yes it does deliver a hefty chunk of chilling atmosphere and the film is heavily influenced by such films as The Others, The Haunting and even The Grudge. The acting is fine too but I found many of the scenes overlong and predictable. Apart from two moments which will jolt you out of your seat, there is a distinct lack of scariness here simply because the key scenes are not convincing enough and there is a distinct lack of creepiness, director Bayona obviously preferring tension and pseudo-suspense - the latter of which is misplaced in a number of scenes. I can understand perfectly some people being drawn convincingly into the story by simple virtue of it's claustrophobic feel and the way it's all played out, but that is not enough to save it from being at times laborious. Instead of it being one of Spain's best it simply creates a level to which others might aspire to do better. A good effort but nonetheless disappointing.

Laura returns with her family to the orphanage she grew up in as a child, she reopens it for handicapped children and all is going to plan until her son starts communicating with an invisible friend...

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona & produced by Guillermo del Toro, this Spanish picture is a delightful antidote to the ream of gore for gore sake movies flooding the market on a seemingly daily basis. This is not a horror movie as such, this is one of those pictures that oozes old fashioned values as regards telling a grand old ghost story with mysterious undertones. The setting is perfect, the orphanage of the piece is a ghostly monolithic structure that has all those perfectly shadowy rooms that are hiding secrets, expansive gardens perfectly framed in aura by Bayona's willingness to let the setting be an integral part of the story. The story is a creepy one, and there is always an added air of unease when children are the focal point of the piece in question, and sure enough this central concept of troubled children and troubled childhoods gets the maximum amount of emotion from the viewing public.

It's hard to write anymore than I have without delving deeper into the story and it's significant turn of events, suffice to say I feel this is a wonderful creepy, and at times beautiful, film that prospective viewers would be better off going into devoid of any prior knowledge. Belén Rueda plays Laura and it's a marvellous performance from her, full of emotion and guts, she carries the film with skillful ease. Bayona directs carefully, and it's evident that he is benefiting from the guiding hands of his gifted producer, but his marker is here and I'll be keeping an eye out for future efforts from the young Spaniard.

A smashingly engaging film that is in the vein of Robert Wise's The Haunting & Alejandro Amenábar's The Others, so if you like real well told ghost stories that unhinge rather than shock you, get in the queue because El Orfanato is a real pleasure. 9/10

I'm a little bit tired of horror and suspense films. I had to get to the cinema because I could not say no to my girlfriend. Now I do not regret the wonderful evening I spent. This film achieved what others did not- I could not release my girlfriend's hand all over the time, and when the story finished I discovered there was nothing unexplained. A great suspense film I recommend. Belén Rueda, is a completely credible character and the place where the story has been shot helps make it realistic or, at least, the viewer gets into the environment created. The rest of actors are good and Geraldine Chaplin's scene is one of the most creepy I've ever seen

The Orphanage concerns a former resident who ultimately is adopted and returns to the abandoned institution as an adult to open a home for disabled children. Prior to the opening, her son, who is also adopted, disappears. Most of the plot involves the mystery of what happened to her child and her friends at the orphanage.

I have to say that for most of this movie I was bored out of my mind due to the slow pace. The concept itself was okay and the story is all tied up in a tidy bundle by the end, but getting there was quite tedious at times.

The acting was okay, but bordered on the melodramatic in certain parts. However, the mom's desperation and frustration over the loss of her son is appropriate. I think the characters did okay overall with the lines they had been given considering the slow pace. I just wish the film would have had more oomph. Some of the sets and cinematography were quite nice and interesting as well and the orphanage itself has quite the creepy feel to it. The film has a fair amount of atmosphere.

IMHO, this film had the horror equivalent of Crimson Peak, a movie that I actually did like. The horror element in The Orphanage is quite tame, so if you are looking for thrills and chills, I don't know that this film will do it for you. I don't know that it will do for a hardened horror fan either. Mystery, suspense and drama fans might like it if they don't mind the supernatural elements and the snail's pace.

If you love a well-told ghost story, then you should enjoy THE ORPHANAGE. It's packed with mystery, dread, and perfectly-placed chills.

Laura (Belen Rueda) returns to the titular institution of her youth in order to turn it into a home for disabled children. With her husband and young son in tow, all seems fine at first. When tragedy strikes, Laura's world collapses, leaving her at the mercy of a supernatural game.

This movie deals as much with the agony of loss as it does with the paranormal. The ending is as poignant as it is terrifying. Recommended for those seeking intelligent horror films...

The former orphan Laura (Belén Rueda) raises her adopted son Simón (Roger Príncep) with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) in an old house and former orphanage where she was raised. Simón is HIV positive and tells Laura that he has five invisible friends, and she believes they are fruit of his imagination. Laura decides to reopen an orphanage for handicapped children in the location and during the opening party, Simón calls her to show the little cabin of his friend Tomás. The busy Laura does not gives much attention to her son; then she sees a mysterious masked boy and Simón vanishes. Laura feels the presence of other persons in the house and months later, the desperate Laura invites a team of parapsychologists to try to unravel the mystery.

"El Orfanato" is a creepy and spooky ghost story with a dark and very sad atmosphere. The screenplay, direction, acting and cinematography are great, disclosing a dramatic and sensitive plot that explores the disappearance of a young boy with touches of supernatural in the despair of his mother. However, the explanation of the mystery in the end makes this sensitive movie actually a drama, and not horror genre, and maybe that is the reason why some viewers have written bad reviews (or maybe they have not understood the plot). My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Orfanato" ("The Orphanage")

Note: On 25 January 2015 I saw this movie again on Blu-Ray.

18 months back, or so, the world was astonished as three Mexican directors produced three exceptional and successful films. One of those three, Alfonso Cuáron, said in an interview last year that the trio (himself, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu & Guillermo del Toro) considered themselves to be nothing in comparison to "what is to come".

With "The Orphanage", executive produced by del Toro, we get to see some work from the first of the new Hispanic wave, namely the Spaniard Juan Antonio Bayona. Although del Toro's name is plastered all over the posters, this is undeniably Bayona's film who, with stylish photography, effective design and confident direction, makes this a fantastically gripping and moving piece of work.

It is a staggeringly bold and extremely exciting feature debut by this director. From the very first shot, the audience can see that this director has style and an eye for striking images. But he also knows how to manipulate an audience. The early scenes grip the audience as Bayona builds up a tense atmosphere, filled with the sort of menace that Hitchcock created in so many films.

Then, when the supernatural plot gets going, he fills the film with enough memorable visual touches and "crash, bang, wallop" moments to keep you on the edge of your seat. A number of scenes excel, especially one where a medium is used in the eponymous orphanage and wanders the apparently empty corridors, viewed in the eerie green of night vision. It is a magnificent, thrilling scene and, although it sounds clichéd, it is fresh, inventive and spine-chilling.

But this film is so much more than a nuts and bolts ghost story. The film ends with a wonderful, moving twist that is at once heart-breaking and utterly uplifting. This is an engrossing and thrilling film and a triumph of superior direction but it is the film's intelligent and philosophical side that stays with you, long after your spine has stopped tingling.

Maybe I set the bar too high since this movie was coming from the guy who wrote Pan's Labyrinth. It wasn't scary at all. I would put it in the mystery category more than horror. I felt like I jut kept waiting for something to happen. It was very predictable.

Greetings again from the darkness. We are blessed with so few horror movies for grown-ups because it is a nearly impossible genre to succeed in. There is such a fine line between suspense and stupidity, and to succeed there must be an air of believability. This film manages to walk the high wire and maintain the balance ... to the point of a few good scares and more than enough suspense!

Produced by the great Guillermo del Toro and directed by Spain's new hot shot director, Juan Antonio Bayona, the film has some very basic, even cliché, story lines and premises. Still the quality is so high and the acting so strong that it does suck the viewer right into this world. The simplistic approach is what makes it work. The house creaks, clanks and other noises are extraordinarily creepy and not over the top. The best moments are the "little" things and I really enjoyed Geraldine Chaplin's time as the medium.

OK, it is a horror movie, but this is a very good performance from Bolen Rueda, who was so memorable in "The Sea Inside". Ms. Rueda is Laura, who wants to set up a house for a few needy kids in the same house in which she lived as an orphan when she was a kid. Guess what? There is more to the story than that! Laura's own adopted son is played by the extraordinarily cute Roger Princep as Simon. Big eyes and bushy hair, he is like a living (or maybe not) doll.

It is so difficult for these films to find an audience, especially when released in the U.S. with sub-titles, but this one deserves attention to anyone who enjoys a little suspense and a few good darkened theatre jumps in the seat!

This is an incredible movie - period!

The fact that its a horror movie will no doubt divide the fans of the genre. Will there be blood? No. Is it unrated or too scary for cinemas? No. Will it give you nightmares? Hardly. But what it will give you is brilliant acting and a story so perfectly executed - IN A HORROR MOVIE MIND YOU.

I've watched hundreds of horror movies and most of them will have something - something they obviously wanted to build the movie around - wheter it be brutality, jumpscares, creepy mutants or loads of guts and blood being shovelled in your face, but hardly any of them focus on the story. This one does - much like "The Others" did a handful of years before it.

If you decide to watch The Orfanage, you can lean back comfortably in your seat (although you will probably stay clued to the edge) and have faith that it will take you from beginning to end in a carefully considered way... with no special effects, no bewildered zombies or other inexplicable things being mindlessly tossed in for dramatic effect and best of all - no unanswered questions.

Enjoy! (PS the Wendy reference knocked the air right out of me)