Orphan – Blu-ray/DVD Review

Orphan

There is definitely something wrong with Esther! She’s a space alien! No, no, no. If you want that cheap ending, go rent the Nicolas Cage flick, Knowing. Orphan, however, does provide a satisfying storyline and dimensional characters that draw you into the story and leave you glued to the screen as it twists and turns toward the chilling finale.

While I can see why many adoption agencies were up in arms over the release of the film (see an article about it by clicking here), the film is about more than am adopted child gone bad. This is a story about manipulation, blackmail, death, destruction, and loads and loads of secrets.

What I liked about the characters in the film was that they all had their own unique flaws. Instead of Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) being adopted by the Cleavers or the Bradys (study your TV history, kids), she enters a home where each character has their own set of problems. It’s not like she comes in and destroys their idyllic world; she just adds to the chaotic mess that already exists.

This works for me because there are already trust issues evident in the household, so when things start to take bizarre turns no one believes anyone in regards to what’s going on. And surely, Esther is innocent of all wrongdoing. After all, she’s a shy little princess.

Movies about evil kids have been around for decades. From Children of the Corn, The Omen, The Good Son, and others, Orphan fits right into the themes and concepts these films play off of. No one ever suspects that a child is capable of evil deeds and murder. And once people do figure it out, oftentimes it’s too late to stop the reign of terror that’s already begun.

So, what does the DVD version of Orphan have to offer? You get a few deleted scenes and the alternate ending to the film, which is disturbing in its own right but doesn’t have the feel of real conclusion to the story.

Over on the Blu-ray, you get the abovementioned scenes, plus:

Mama’s Little Children: Bad Seeds and Evil Children

The cast and crew talk about making Orphan and discuss other evil children throughout movie history.

And, of course, a Digital Copy of the film for Orphan fun on the go!

Orphan is an entertaining child-psychopath movie that kept my attention from start to finish. I recommend it!

Who is your favorite psycho kid from the movies? Leave a comment and let us know!

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