The Orphanage

The Orphanage wasn't quite what I expected. I expected a straight up horror movie and instead I got a supernatural, creepy, spooky thriller. Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.

The Orphanage is Laura's new home. She's brought her husband Carlos and adopted son Simon to live in the orphanage where she grew up, hoping to open the house once again as a home for orphaned children. After moving in, Simon begins telling Laura about his invisible friends, and naturally she writes it off as normal childhood behavior, until Simon tries to show her his invisible friend's hidey-hole. Frustrated and busy throwing a party for the children she hopes will come to live in the home, she yells at Simon, sees a spooky kiddo in a scary burlap mask, and away Simon runs only to disappear into thin air. Laura refuses to give up hope, searching and searching until she begins feeling strange, otherworldly presences in the home. She becomes desperate, Carlos is ready to move on, but Laura refuses to give up hope. Eventually they invite parapsychologists into the home to help them find Simon, but it seems that it is left to Laura to unravel what really happened to Simon. Are there really ghosts in the house? Is Simon still alive?

The Orphanage was way spookier than I expected and the ending is just heart-breaking. Several times I jumped in my chair spooked. This is very good - not very many movies make me jump in my chair without resorting to cheap theatrics. The scene with the "freeze" game was so tense I clenched my hands. Why can't I find movies like this more often? Cause wow. When the mystery is revealed I was surprised just like I should have been. Oh yeah, and don't forget the gruesome looking face of the lady lying in the road. Ugh and awesome all at the same time.

Rating: 4 1/2 Purrs for a beautiful, haunting, scary film