Delayed Reaction: Orphan: First Kill

Premise: How did Esther end up in Orphan?

This movie...This fucking movie. I am fascinated by this movie.

 

On paper, it's a horrible idea. It's a prequel to a movie about a character who doesn't age past looking 12, made 13 years after the original movie, starring the same actress, not using CGI effects for de-aging. This movie brings back Isabelle Fuhrman to play 12 using forced perspective, body doubles, and tricky camera work. This is the movie Clifford but played as a non-comedy horror movie. That is an unsellable, even desperate pitch. And by god, they found a way to pull it off.

 

It mostly comes down to one of the notes I took while watching the movie:

"This movie knows the audience is calling bullshit, so the movie does too."

 

The first half of the movie, I'm sitting there unconvinced. No matter what they do, they aren't getting me to forget that Fuhrman is clearly a grown woman. Suspension of disbelief only gets me so far. The movie is still fun up to that point. Fuhrman is having a good time and it's a sloppy slasher of sorts.

 

Then comes the twist. It turns out, Esther isn't fooling as many people as we thought. Her new mom (Julia Stiles) and her new brother (some actor I'm not looking up), know she isn't the real Esther. The real Esther was accidentally killed by her brother and Stiles covered it up. Only Esther's new father thinks she's real. So, all the attitude from the brother earlier in the movie isn't a teen being petulant; it's a young man who knows better. Julia Stiles' distance isn't a maternal disconnect from being separated for years. It's her waiting to expose the imposter. After Stiles and the son reveal that they know in spectacular fashion, the movie turns into an incredibly fun match of wits.

 

There's something wonderful about a good mid-movie twist. The kind where there's enough time to settle into the new normal. It's what I love about Gone Girl. That’s an effective mystery movie that shifts into a dark comedy. I don't love From Dusk Till Dawn, but the vampire twist midway through is one of my favorite "what the fuck is happening" moments watching a movie. I don't love Orphan: First Kill. No matter how much it is in on the joke, it can't make me forget that I'm supposed to see Isabelle Fuhrman as 12. The writing has one great twist but nothing else at that level. As a one-time watch though, I can't deny that First Kill is a ton of fun. If only all horror sequels were this willing to break formula and try something risky.

 

Verdict: Weakly Recommend