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Movies / On DVD / The Orphanage
The Orphanage

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The Orphanage (2007)

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Reviews Counted:149

Fresh:128

Rotten:21

Average Rating:7.3/10

Consensus: When it seems like every horror movie nowadays is a remake or a grisly exercise in sadism, The Orphanage is a breath of fresh air for critics and audiences alike, seamlessly blending in a poignant tale of loss with the scares and blood.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Dec 28, 2007 Limited

Box Office: $6,905,218

Synopsis: It might come as no surprise that the producer of the Spanish supernatural thriller THE ORPHANAGE is none other than Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro (PAN'S LABYRINTH, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE), for... It might come as no surprise that the producer of the Spanish supernatural thriller THE ORPHANAGE is none other than Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro (PAN'S LABYRINTH, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE), for his influence is felt greatly throughout the picture. Made by an entire crew of newcomers--director Juan Antonio Bayona, screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez, director of photography Oscar Faura, composer Fernando Velazquez--THE ORPHANAGE is an extremely accomplished work. The story concerns Laura (Belen Rueda), who has returned with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and adopted child Simon (Roger Princep) to the large manor where she was raised in an orphanage as a child. Laura is determined to fix up the abandoned house and open it as a refuge for ill children. But from the moment she returns, the past begins to haunt her. It isn't long before she begins to see the children who she used to play with as a seven-year-old. And when Simon goes missing one afternoon, she's convinced that they have taken him hostage. What follows is a murky descent into Laura's mind, where she doesn't know what is real and what is a figment of her tortured imagination. Bayona brings Sanchez's complex script to life with the help of Faura's haunting imagery and Valazquez's atmospheric score. But what makes THE ORPHANAGE an even greater achievement is its insistence on being more than just a superficial scare-fest. Bayona and Sanchez are more interested in deeper themes of memory, loss, and grief, establishing Laura as a mother who feels guilt over not being able to protect her child from outside forces. The result is a film that is both unsettling and moving. [More]

Starring: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin

Starring: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Geraldine Chaplin

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona

Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Screenwriter: Sergio G. Sanchez
Producer: Guillermo Del Toro
Composer: Fernando Velazquez
Studio: Picturehouse

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Release:

Apr 22, 2008

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Reviews for The Orphanage

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Spanish horror films have a rich, still underappreciated tradition, but The Orphanage could have been made by any anonymous Hollywood hack

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment 1 Comment
08/27/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

However, the creative trust hasn’t forgotten those who love their art served up rich in metaphor and message.

Full Review Source: JWR | comment Comment
07/23/09
S. James Wegg
S. James Wegg
JWR
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
N/R

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Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
10/18/08
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/18/08
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

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Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/18/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
10/18/08
Tom Charity
Tom Charity
CNN.com
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Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
10/18/08
Reel.com
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Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
10/18/08
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

[Director Bayona] has a fine career ahead of him.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
10/18/08
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/18/08
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
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N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
10/18/08
Sara Cardace
Sara Cardace
New York Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You wouldn't think that a Spanish horror flick as high art, but in the case of The Orphanage, you'd be wrong.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
09/02/08
Heather Huntington
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com

It captures pure terror. It's horrific. That's horror plus terrific. It's almost impossible for a film like this to be lumped into the same category as...

Full Review Source: The Scorecard Review | comment Comment
08/27/08
Jeff Bayer
Jeff Bayer
The Scorecard Review

The Orphanage [is] durable and engrossing, traits that help overshadow its genre-bound features.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
08/27/08
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

This Spanish psychological mystery is captivating, creepy and hopeful.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
07/19/08
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
07/16/08
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of those rare moments wherein you actually believe your are seeing a ghost, not a Hollywood special effect.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/15/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

As horror films go, this sits firmly at the classy end of the spectrum.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
06/08/08
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
 
 
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Latest News for The Orphanage

August 05, 2009: Fessenden Signs on for Orphanage Remake Opens in new window
New Line's remake of "The Orphanage" has got itself a director: Larry Fessenden, who has written the script with producer Guillermo del Toro. More...

May 15, 2009: Orphanage Duo Reunites for "Powerful Story" Opens in new window
Juan Antonio Bayona and Sergio Sanchez, the director and screenwriter of "The Orphanage," are reteaming on what looks set to be Bayona's second film. More...

March 12, 2009: Bayona Set for Third Twilight Movie Opens in new window
Summit Entertainment has announced that Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona ("The Orphanage") will direct "Eclipse," the third installment in the "Twilight" series. More...

November 14, 2008: Five Favorite Films with Guillermo del Toro
RT caught up with Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro at the DVD/Blu-ray Launch Event for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, where the celebrated fantasy auteur shared his favorite... More...

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