ORPHAN

RYAN: If the point of scary movies is to scare you, then the new horror flick “Orphan” definitely succeeds.

CAROLINE: Does it ever! I had such low expectations for this movie, I can’t even tell you… and I’m shocked by how scary and good it was. I can’t believe I’m even saying those words out loud, but it’s true.

RYAN: Let’s begin at the beginning. The opening scene is so disturbing and inappropriate that this almost could have been NC-17.

CAROLINE: Yeah, that scene was unacceptable. I had forgotten about it till just now since the rest of the movie redeemed itself; but they totally could have conveyed the same point in a much less gruesome and graphic way. I did not appreciate that, and no pregnant woman should see it.

RYAN: That being said, it sets the tone for a horrifying movie.

CAROLINE: At first, I thought the top dragged a little. There was a lot of set up, and it went on a touch too long. I know they were trying to establish the story of the family and allow us to get to know them, but I was like, “OK, let’s cut to the chase. When do they adopt the demon kid?” But this was also before I realized that this was actually going to be a decent movie.

RYAN: I think horror movies are better when you actually care about the characters, and they did a good job of getting us to know and appreciate our protagonists. And for all of you who want to judge this movie based on the commercials, who you think it looks cheesy and lame – you’re wrong. This is so not an “Omen” rip-off. It’s completely original and it had moments of brilliance. Yes, I said it, brilliance.

CAROLINE: To me it looked so shlocky and derivative from the ads, and we even discussed in Trailer Tuesdays that we couldn’t bear another movie about an evil child. I was prepared to walk out if I didn’t like it. But it was so well shot and well acted. The little girl is amazing, and I loved Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard together. They were so convincing as a couple. They had great chemistry and there were several “real” moments that made me believe them together. And because of the way you come to feel about them and their kids as a family, the movie is that much more terrifying.

RYAN: The girl who plays the titular orphan, Esther, gives the best young performance in a mature role since Kirsten Dunst in “Interview With a Vampire.”

CAROLINE: She’s great. She annoyed me at first because of her accent, which was stronger in some scenes than others. She’s supposed to be from Russia. But once she gets going, it’s totally riveting.

RYAN: I like scary movies that have a small amount of comedy written into them, which this one does. It allows people to laugh at appropriate moments instead of the wrong ones. I jumped several times during this movie. There are a few manipulative moments where they used editing and music to create fake scares, which is annoying; but I got over it. The rest is really well done.

CAROLINE: The little girl who plays the younger daughter is so beyond adorable that I can’t even find words. She’s deaf in the movie, but I don’t know about real life. She doesn’t utter one word, but she’s so good. This is her first movie, but she’s sure to be in more.

RYAN: She’s so cute that the girl behind us must have said, “She’s so cute” every time she came on screen. I almost had to hit her.

CAROLINE: So annoying. But how cool was the house they lived in? Kudos to the location scout. That was the perfect house for this movie. And it was shot so well – it was dark without being too dark. The setting and the mood were great, as was the story. The director did a really good job.

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: This could just be a case of us having really low expectations and being pleasantly surprise, but I think it’s more than that. It’s a good movie. I totally recommend it for people who like this genre. See it in the theater and enjoy.

CAROLINE: I can’t belive I’m saying this, but I’d recommend it too. Not for everyone, of course; it’s very violent and gory. I don’t normally like this genre, and this is sure to give me nightmares, but I can’t deny that it was well made. I’m truly surprised by it and I hope other people are too. Go in with low expectations and maybe you’ll like it as much as we did.

— RATING —