Orphan
User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 117 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 117
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 117
  3. Negative: 14 out of 117

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. NickR
    Aug 5, 2009
    3
    I would have recast this movie with Tracy Gold and Ian Ziering as the parents, Meredith Baxter-Berney as the grandmother, and Eric Roberts as the exposition guy late in the film. And if those clues weren't enough, I'm saying it would be more at home airing on Lifetime. I only give it a three because it's absolutely hilarious. Watch this movie at a theater with the loudest crowd you can find. You'll have a great time.… Expand
  2. HarryPapas
    Oct 5, 2009
    1
    Predictable from the outset with a failed "twist" ending (a 9 year old could predict it if they used some common sense...or even a 33 year old ;) all the clues are there), devoid of any suspense throughout, full of cliches, plot holes and poor dialogue, painfully overlong. The acting is decent though often unintentionally comedic (the weird Russian...well actually Estonian accent adds insult to injury). On the plus side, it almost succeeds as a character study and is good technically (if we choose to ignore the poor score which again is comedic) Overall a hugely disappointing film which attempts to convey itself as disturbing, "clever" and original but is frustratingly silly and misleading. And while ultimately it succeeds in being disturbing it does this in all the wrong ways. Only to be enjoyed as a parody.… Expand
  3. JimmyJamieson
    Jul 24, 2009
    1
    not scary. WHY CAN"T ANYTHING BE SCARY THESE DAYS??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I fell asleep halfway through and before it ended, I decided to start throwing popcorn at screen and put on my own dancing act in front of the screen and eventually got banned from the theater... True Story Btw. Bottomline, this movie SUCKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! Big TIme
  4. kgm.
    Jul 26, 2009
    3
    Isabelle Fuhrman as
  5. BryanT
    Jul 29, 2009
    2
    I think I would have enjoyed this film more if "The Good Son" hadn't been made. The plot was good, but I felt the execution was poor. I'm sure there are many people who would enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. BOTTOM LINE: I wouldn't walk out, but I can't recommend anyone should see it, either.
  6. axelkoch
    Apr 20, 2013
    3
    I would've never thought that this movie would degenerate so much. Most of its second half is just immensely stupid and unbearably preposterous. While the beginning is suspenseful and seems to build up a good horror movie with a snowballing amount of frightening scenes, it just totally falls apart at the end. I could have lived with some of the absurd stuff happening in Orphan before, but at some point it was just enough. It decayed in illogical, dumbly disturbing action that wasn't enjoyable in any possible way. This is pretty disappointing regarding the way the movie started and continued during the first hour: it kept you interested about Esther, the screenplay introduced us better to the other parts of the family as well, the scenes that were supposed to scare you scared me. Everything like it should be in a good psychological horror. But when the grotesque truth about Esther is finally revealed, I was sitting there like “This is why I usually don't like horror movies.” It was a very unpleasant experience, not only because the extremely disturbing things the orphan girl is doing in this movie, but also because it leaves you sitting there, pondering about why you've ever took this movie seriously. Okay, Isabelle Fuhrmann did a surprising job as Esther although I didn't enjoy her that much since the screenplay wasn't really good and Vera Fermiga was a good lead, mostly. However, this ending just makes you angry because it totally destroys a movie that could've been good, but ends up being an imbecile disaster. Seriously, this ending was one of the worst I've seen in movie history.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
42 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 25
  3. Negative: 7 out of 25
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    You want a good horror film about a child from hell, you got one. Do not, under any circumstances, take children to see it. Take my word on this.
    Read full review
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    70
    Furhman plays pure evil with such supreme calmness that only her eyes shine with madness. Indeed, all of the child actors are superb, especially the expressive Engineer.
    Read full review
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    40
    Teasingly enjoyable rubbish through the first hour, Orphan becomes genuine trash during its protracted second half.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »