Orphan (2009)

All Critics (148) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (85) | Rotten (70) | DVD (16)

Decidedly amoral.

July 6, 2010 Full Review

Chuck Wilson

Village Voice

Top Critic

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.

August 20, 2009 Full Review | Comment (1)

Cliff Doerksen

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

This wickedly entertaining, if slightly over-stretched, variation on the familiar 'evil child' scenario displays an unusually complex grasp of twisted psychology.

August 7, 2009 Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Top Critic

It would be harder to find a more dark and joyless thriller on the market than this one.

July 29, 2009 Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

It's bloody, you should be warned, but in the end it is worth it.

July 27, 2009 Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz

At the Movies

Top Critic

Painfully predictable.

July 27, 2009 Full Review | Comments (17)

Ben Lyons

At the Movies

Top Critic

Dump a murderous psycho brat with a corny Russian accent into that troubled mix and you've got a real horror show on your hands. But not a good one.

February 15, 2013 Full Review

Steve Newton

Georgia Straight

Weak adult characters and lame ending aside, Orphan succeeds more often than not, mainly thanks to Fuhrman's performance and Collet-Serra's direction. It's not a fantastic thriller but it's not bad and often far better than it probably should be.

April 25, 2011 Full Review | Comments (2)

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

If we could all stop for a moment and think about how excellent and uplifting garbage can be, America would rally around this movie like the treasure it is.

April 4, 2011 Full Review

Dave White

Movies.com

The movie is, as these things go, enjoyably trashy.

July 6, 2010 Full Review

Nathan Lee

NPR.org

Collet-Serra's film is a mixture of old school sub-genre devices that we've seen before again and again while also managing to deliver on good performances and a twist ending that you really won't see coming.

December 10, 2009 Full Review | Comments (2)

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

As interesting as Collet-Serra's story is, there's simply nothing here that you won't find in other better evil children films in the library...

December 4, 2009 Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Alas, in the end, it's not nasty enough.

December 1, 2009 Full Review

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

[Blu-Ray Review] Orphan is a very decent movie in it's own right, apart from being a tense, eerie little horror film specifically. It doesn't fail to entertain.

November 5, 2009 Full Review

Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton

Dread Central

The only thing mysterious about Orphan is why Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard signed on to such an idiotic mess.

October 27, 2009 Full Review | Comments (2)

Matt Noller

Slant Magazine

Bad Seed-style horror movie is gory and ludicrous.

October 26, 2009 Full Review

James Rocchi

Common Sense Media

The Cold War may be over for almost two decades now, but Hollywood still can't resist having a Russian villain yet again in Orphan!

October 26, 2009 Full Review | Comments (3)

James O'Ehley

Sci-Fi Movie Page

Orphan is not very good. At 90 minutes, it might have been amazing. At nearly two hours, it's tedious.

October 25, 2009 Full Review | Comments (3)

Bill Gibron

PopMatters

This is the rare fright flick that is actually grounded in some genuine human emotion.

October 24, 2009 Full Review | Comment (1)

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

...the characters must be among the dumbest people ever to grace a movie screen. (Blu-ray Edition)

October 24, 2009 Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

For the most part, Esther is an entertaining and solid addition to the Evil Child canon.

October 22, 2009 Full Review

Jessica Baxter

Film Threat

...more concerned with producing cheap thrills and melodramatic effects than creating any sense of mystery or suspense.

October 20, 2009 Full Review | Comments (3)

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

• 1. Esther: I'll cut your hairless little prick off before you even figure out what it's for.
  – Submitted by Ceara R (6 months ago)
• 1. Esther: Thats the story of that's the glory of love.
  – Submitted by William D (11 months ago)
• 1. Esther: I know. They fuck.
  – Submitted by April W (18 months ago)
• 1. Esther: Please, don't let me die, Mommy.
  2. Kate Coleman: I'm not your fucking mommy!
  – Submitted by Mike Y (23 months ago)
• 1. Esther: I think people should always try to take the bad things that happen to them in their lives, and turn them into something good. Don't you?
  – Submitted by Chris P (2 years ago)
• 1. Esther: if you tell anyone what you saw i cut your hair less pecker off, understand
  2. Daniel Coleman: hmm
  – Submitted by Seth S (2 years ago)

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