Orphan: First Kill (2022)

Although this may seem like a sequel that has come along too late, and wasn’t anything that people were asking for, it must be said that the fanbase for Orphan has just grown and grown over the years. It is such a perfect mix of the camp and the twisted, despite also being completely unbelievable. I wasn’t sure if this second film, a prequel (as the title implies), would be able to sit alongside the first film, but I am happy to say that it does.

It all starts at the institute where Leena (Isabelle Fuhrman) is being kept. She is very violent, smart, and dangerous. And it doesn’t take her long to figure out an escape plan. Out in the wide world, Leena decides to take on the identity of a missing girl named Esther, which allows her to get from Estonia to America, to then be “reunited” with her family. Can she keep up the facade for long though, and will she be tripped up by the fact that her potential mother (played by Julia Stiles) seems to suspect that something isn’t quite right.

Directed this time around by William Brent Bell (a man who has delivered numerous films that don’t exactly set the world alight, but who also seemed to pleasantly surprise many viewers with The Boy before spoiling things with Brahms: The Boy II), Orphan: First Kill isn’t the most inventive film, nor is it visually stunning (although there are some lovely shots here and there), but that doesn’t matter really, because the big selling point is the entertainingly deadly main character. It is a film saved by a middle section that absolutely understands how best to rework that central character.. There are a couple of fun twists, and everything is set up in a way that starts a clock running. Viewers know that Esther will need to act quickly, and they also know what she is capable of. 

The script, worked on by David Coggeshall developing the story and ideas of David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Alex Mace, has to tie in to the first movie, which is where it is weakest, but allows for some fun trickery with the details of a backstory that viewers will assume they already know. The notes are the same, but this is a very different tune being played.

Fuhrman, needing to be digitally de-aged this time around, is just as much fun in the role as she was last time. In fact, she’s arguably even more enjoyable to watch here, having less scenes that require her to hide her true nature. Stiles is equally enjoyable, pitching her performance perfectly at the level best suiting the tone of the material. Rossif Sutherland and Matthew Finlan (as “daddy” and “big brother”, respectively) aren’t quite as good, although the latter works very well in his scenes alongside Stiles, and it is a shame that the writers didn’t think to push things further. Have a bigger selection of characters to cause problems, have more troubling secrets hidden away under a civil and well-to-do exterior.

If you enjoyed the first movie then you should find enough to enjoy here. Although it ultimately fails to match the highs and surprises of Orphan, this makes an admirable attempt to give people what they want while trying to add one or two sudden turns. I don’t think a third film is possible, considering the timeline already covered, but if it is . . . I will check it out.

6/10

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Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions (2021)

I enjoyed Escape Room. I also enjoyed Escape Room. And I will enjoy any number of films that feature escape rooms at the heart of their plot, as I have said before. It’s a cool concept, and the films often allow you to expect some gory death moments while “playing along” with the main characters.

The plot to this is very simple. After the events of the first film, Zoey (Taylor Russell) and Ben (Logan Miller) set out to find the creators of the dangerous game they were caught up in. They want justice to be served. That ends up with them dragged into more escape rooms, this time alongside other survivors (hence the title). An underground train, a bank, a seaside shack, and even a scene that looks like any number of NYC streets are all scenes full of puzzles they have to solve before the timer runs out.

There are a lot of people who worked together this time around to get the screenplay done, so I will just mention the returning Maria Melnik. While it may seem like far more bodies than necessary, every individual scenario is enjoyably intricate in the slotting together of the puzzle pieces so I cannot complain about more brainpower being used to focus on the fun extended set-pieces.

Director Adam Robitel is back in the big chair, and he sticks with the approach that served him well enough in the first film. Show the room, let the camera pick up small details, hone in on different clues as the players agonise over their next move. You get secret switches, deadly lasers, electric shocks, “quicksand”, acid raining down, and much more, and Robitel almost always shows a small effect of these elements before preparing for at least one major death.

Although the focus is always on the rooms themselves, both Russell and Miller acquit themselves admirably enough in their roles. Holland Roden, Indya Moore, Thomas Cocquerel, and Carlito Olivero also do fine, although it’s Roden standing out from the other players. Then you have scenes featuring Isabelle Fuhrman and James Frain that attempt to frame the whole story in a way that is pretty unnecessary. Look, I appreciate trying to show that there actually is someone creating these puzzles, but the logic of the movie has already asked me to switch off my brain and not overthink it, considering just how much money and resources would be needed for each scenario, so shoehorning in some backstory at this point does more harm than good.

As expected, this wasn’t quite as good as the first film. It’s not bad though, and certainly not bad enough to dissuade me from watching any other movies that use the idea, or even the same title. They may not be amazing, or stuffed with surprises, but they are enjoyably unpretentious and entertaining.

6/10

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Orphan (2009)

Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard play Kate and John Coleman, a couple very much in love with each other and with their children (Daniel, played by Jimmy Bennett, and hearing-impaired Max, played by young Aryana Engineer) and who have, to put it lightly, been through a really bad time of things. One problem birth that went horribly wrong, the accident that cost young Max her hearing, Kate's drinking problem. Hopefully, that's all now in the past as the couple realise just how much they have and decide to share their lives with someone less fortunate than most by adopting young, eccentric Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman, who is quite superb). It's not long until friction is caused, however, and it seems that Esther may have some hidden agenda despite her youthfulness but will anyone else see her manipulative ways except Kate, who keeps running into a barrier of disbelief thanks to the mistakes of her past.

Dark Castle, as those who have read some of my other reviews may know, have almost always provided me with the kind of fun horror I can easily enjoy even if it's unlikely to top anyone's "favourite movie" list. They do it once again here with a movie that builds tension nicely, throws in some genuinely uncomfortable moments and provides a great mix of uneasiness and more obvious shocks that should keep most modern movie audiences pleased.

The acting is all top notch with Farmiga and Sarsgaard anchoring the whole thing with performances that feel very real and naturalistic and, most importantly, believable amidst a plot that starts to pile up the number of unusual events and "coincidences" it needs to build up to the revelatory finale. The child stars also do very well and Isabelle Fuhrman does not get extra praise simply for landing the juicier role, she's really great in every scene she's in and able to run through a whole gamut of characteristics whether they be faked for the benefit of an audience or genuinely peeking out from behind the mask of her character.

Another string to Orphan's bow is how it mixes the slightly absurd with the very real, affecting horror of things such as the potential loss of loved ones, the acceptance of someone new into the family unit and the guilt that parents can live with for many years while keeping things hidden from everyone around them. Jealousy is a major force in this movie and children vying for attention from their parents can be selfish, manipulative and ruthless in many ways . . . . . . so Orphan just manages to take that to an extreme and let things unfold with horrific consequences.

Impressively handled by director Jaume Collet-Serra, it's rare to see a mainstream horror movie handling such disturbing themes (and, despite the glossy coating, there are certainly a few disturbing themes throughout) and all involved should be given a tip of the hat for getting right behind the material and giving us something that ends up being familiar. But oh so different.

7/10.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orphan-Blu-ray-Vera-Farmiga/dp/B002KAIVL8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372662105&sr=8-2&keywords=orphan