A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
Asks viewers to consider what a monster might look like -- and to consider how we might react to a person based on the way they look and act. White privilege is very much a part of the question here.
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Positive Role Models
very little
Without giving too much away, only one character here is admirable or shows kindness, but they don't make it to the end of the movie.
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Diverse Representations
a little
The two most important characters are women, though neither is particularly admirable. The story is partly a commentary on White privilege. The only characters of color appear in small roles, including an Asian detective and a Black female psychologist.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Strong blood and gore, blood spurts, bloody wounds, etc. Characters are beaten to death with blunt objects, with blood spraying. Character's head smashed against wall, blood stain. Character stabbed. Character shot and killed. Character shot with crossbow. Stabbing with sword. Fight in kitchen, characters bashing each other with kitchen objects. Characters fall from height, bodies twisted on ground below. Character mortally wounded, covered in blood. Murderer covered in blood spatters, leaving bloody fingerprints. Character has violent outburst, screaming, being restrained. Jump scares. Character pepper-sprayed in face. Character thrown down flight of stairs. Scars on wrists, neck. Dead rat. House on fire.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Married couple initiates sex. Passionate kissing, removing clothing, character works hand inside the front of another's underwear. Nude painting. Some sexual suggestion, sex-related dialogue.
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Language
a lot
Brief strong language includes uses of "f--k" and "f---ing," "s--t," "bulls--t," "bitch," "goddamn," "pr--k," "balls," "hell," "for Christ's sake," "freak."
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Main character steals a tiny bottle of alcohol on a plane, gulps it down. Teen partying, drinking from red plastic cups. Teen pot-smoking suggested. Adult serves himself a whiskey with lime. Brief cigarette smoking.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Orphan: First Kill is the prequel to the 2009 horror movie Orphan. It tells Esther's origin story. Thanks to Isabelle Fuhrman's fine performance and a clever script, it surpasses its predecessor. But it's still quite gory and definitely isn't for kids. Many characters are killed with various blunt objects, blades, arrows, bullets, and falls from high places, and there's a lot of blood. There's also fighting, screaming, jump scares, a house on fire, and a dead rat. Language isn't frequent but includes uses of "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," and more. A married couple initiates sex, with passionate kissing, a shirt being removed, and one working their hand in the front of the other's underwear. There's also a nude painting, sexual suggestion, and sex-related dialogue. Teens drink from red cups and smoke pot at a party, a character steals and gulps a tiny bottle of liquor, and there's additional drinking and smoking by adults. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
In ORPHAN: FIRST KILL, art therapy instructor Anna (Gwendolyn Collins) takes a job at the SAARNE Institute, a psychiatric facility in Estonia. On her first day, the institute's deadliest patient, Leena (Isabelle Fuhrman), escapes. Leena is said to be a 31-year-old woman with a gland disorder that makes her look 10 years old. Leena finds the profile of a missing girl that fits her appearance and begins a new journey, impersonating "Esther," the daughter of the upper-class Albright family. Her new "mother," Tricia (Julia Stiles), is a philanthropist; her "brother," Gunnar (Matthew Finlan), is a fencing champion; and her "father," Allen (Rossif Sutherland), is a successful painter. At first she simply plans to rob them and move on, but Allen's kindness toward her makes her want to stay. Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Orphan: First Kill's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
What does the movie have to say about White privilege? How do you think viewers are meant to perceive the Albright family when they first meet them?
How can a monster/murderer like Esther be the main character of a movie? Can you think of any other movies that are told from this point of view?
How does this prequel compare with the original Orphan? In what similar or different ways do they approach the character and the story?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 19, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: August 19, 2022
- Cast: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland
- Director: William Brent Bell
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Paramount Players
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 99 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: bloody violence, language and brief sexual content
- Last updated: February 22, 2023
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