Phonearl
Good start, but then it gets ruined
SpecialsTarget
Disturbing yet enthralling
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Woodyanders
Laura (a fine and affecting performance by Belen Rueda) and her family movie into a mysterious seaside orphanage that Laura grew up in as a child. Said orphanage harbors a deep dark secret that threatens to destroy both Laura and everything she has ever loved. Director J.A. Bayona eschews graphic gore and cheap scares in favor of delicately crafting a quietly spooky atmosphere that gets under the viewer's skin in an understated, yet still unsettling way. Moreover, the absorbing story that's set up with utmost care and precision by Sergio G. Sanchez has a tragic element to it that in turn gives this film a considerable amount of depth and poignancy. Rueda's distraught, yet determined Laura makes for a strong and sympathetic protagonist whose need to make peace with her troubled past and desire to be reunited with her missing son Simon (well played with tremendous charm and vitality by Roger Princep) ensures that this movie packs a potent emotional punch. The ending manages to be both sad and uplifting in equal measure. Fernando Cayo lends sturdy support as Laura's concerned husband Carlos. Geraldine Chaplin likewise excels as helpful medium Aurora. Kudos are also in order for Oscar Faura's sumptuous widescreen cinematography and Fernando Velaz's spare shivery score. A very touching and haunting gem.
SnoopyStyle
Laura returns to live in her former home, a closed orphanage. She brings her husband Carlos, and adopted son Simón. Simón claims to have a new friend Tomás. He's angry telling Laura that his friend told him that he's adopted. She is attacked by a mysterious boy in a mask and Simón goes missing. Suspicion falls on social worker Benigna Escobedo. Six months later, Laura sees her getting killed run over by a car. Medium Aurora helps Laura discover the truth.This is a murkier ghost story. It's got a nice creepy mood. The lead is compelling. It doesn't always have the action to drive the horror. It relies more on the mystery. There is a great masked kid. It has a nice payoff but it could use a flashback sequence to tie it back better. There are times when the connective tissue is missing.
Charles G
Once again I've fallen in love with a Spanish Horror movie. Directed by Juan A. Bayona and produced by Guillermo Del Toro, The Orphanage impresses with its cold and gloomy atmosphere. Despite the fact there are ghosts included, the movie doesn't rely on cheap jump scares but rather on its touching story and dark elements. Beautiful cinematography and a plot twist are only a few of many positives. A strong lead performance made me genuine feel for the the characters. The Orphanage is a prime example of less being more. Without a doubt a modern Horror classic. I would even recommend this movie to people who aren't that fond of the genre.
danieldubu
In the beginning, I was expected another ,,haunted-house" movie, with jump scares and chilling moments. It started like one, it advanced like one and, in less than 5 minutes, it transformed into an emotional story that scarred me more than any story from a horror movie."The only love that I really believe in is a mother's love for her children." (Karl Lagerfeld). The entire movie was built on this quote: the way the plot goes on, the characters, the environment, everything! The most impressive element of this movie is the lighthouse, the symbol of guidance and safety. The plot is not focusing on it too much, but if you pay attention to some events, you will understand that the lighthouse offers a felling of safety, something that I never seen before to a horror movie.The end of the movie was very special, I shed some tears. It's the kind of movie with an ending which you will remember for a few days after.In conclusion, the movie was great and I strongly recommend it.
