Orphan

Decidedly amoral.

Collet-Serra's film succeeds in being genuinely creepy, is commendably well acted by all concerned, and contains the best twist since The Crying Game.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax) endows this ugly mess with a slew of unintentional laughs, but not enough to repay the 123-minute time suck.

One of the good things about ORPHAN, which is directed by Jaume Collet-Sera, is that it takes itself quite seriously and manages to bring a surprising level of originality to the potentially familiar material.

Lifted above the average by a pretty nifty twist and some unnecessarily good acting.

It’s a film that has not only stood the test of time, but continues to evoke a visceral physical and emotional response. That is the sign of a fantastic horror film.

It’s The Bad Seed until it isn’t. It’s The Omen until it changes its mind. In other words, the twist ending alters everything to such a starling degree that it’s no wonder many folks dig this plot pirouette while just as many despise it.

A devilishly good time with great character work and solid tension-building. Isabelle Fuhrman is a dynamite talent!

And by both satisfying expectations and providing a substantial surprise at the end, Orphan has rightfully become one of the most pleasurable and twisty thrillers from the last twenty years.