The sequel about horrors most infamous Orphan is here! Filled with new twists, jumps scares, blood and gore and is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Orphan: First Kill serves as a prequel to the 2009 film Orphan. Set before the events of the first film, audiences meet Esther in a psychotic clinic in Estonia. After escaping the clinic, Esther poses as a lost American girl, not without getting her hands dirty first. Esther finds herself integrated into a new family where unsuspecting parents Tricia (Julia Styles), Allen (Rosif Sutherland) and son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan) welcome her with open arms. As you can imagine, not before long all hell breaks loose.
Orphan succeeds in building on the plot of the first film, and delivers a refreshing twist that gives the film legs as a stand-alone horror. The film does not rely on the same beats as the previous film and has a lighter and even at times comedic tone.
Isabelle Fuhrman delivers another stand out performance as Esther. For those unfamiliar with the first film, Esther is a a 31-year-old psychopath with a rare hormonal disorder that makes her look like a child. Reprising the role after 13 years, Esther is still scary as ever. Fuhrman was 12 in the original film and 23 during the making of the sequel. Through a combination of makeup and child body doubles, the film succeeds in making Fuhrman look similar to the way she did in the original and Fuhrman executes the child persona to perfection.
The film’s downfall is not being particularly scary. The film does not deliver jump scares or any truly terrifying moments. The original had a much darker tone and some very memorable horror scenes.
Orphan: First Kill hypes up the campy horror elements of the original. For fans of the original and for a fun night out at the cinema, the film is worth a watch. Although, overall it is a forgettable movie experience.
