Orphan- Movie Review

Orphan (2010)
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Plot
Kate and john Coleman are a couple rebuilding a troubled marriage after losing their unborn child ‘Jessica’, Kate has had a drinking problem in the past but attended therapy and finds it began to help her. The couple decide to turn to adoption to save them from going through the same pain as they did before, this is when 9 year old Esther is introduced. As Kate and john visit St. Marina orphanage, Esther is the only child upstairs alone painting pictures on a canvas. John finds Esther and begins to connect with her, after many visits Kate and John decide to choose Esther as their new child. Although It becomes clear that Esther is jealous of Kate and John’s relationship as she is constantly watching them, their son Daniel isn’t fond of Esther however their death and mute daughter Max is drawn to Esther and accepts her. Kate starts to get a funny feeling about Esther and feels that she may have psychological problems. As Sister Abigail visits Esther’s new family Kate on a regular check-up, Kate mentions her concerns and Sister Abigail agrees to look into Esther’s background to see if she has had any previous psychotic relation. Unfortunately Esther over hears this conversation and uses Max as bait to get Sister Abigail out of her car and murder her with a hammer. Esther becomes increasingly twisted as she attempts to trap Daniel in the tree house whilst it is on fire, and tries to convince John that Kate is abusing her causing difficulties to their marriage. Kate’s determination reveals Esther’s darkest secret as she contacts Saarne mental institution who had previously admitted Esther, they explain that Esther is suffering from a condition that’s stunts her growth and reveals that she is in fact a 33 year old woman. After finding out this horrific revelation Kate is in desperate need to contact her husband however whilst Kate was gone Esther tried to seduce John but gets rejected and murders him, Max sees this and hides from Esther in fear that she would be next. As Kate returns home she finds her murdered husband and starts to act against Esther as she is no longer a child to Kate, this fight scene leads out onto the frozen lake resulting in the both of them falling through the ice, fortunately Kate escapes the freezing cold water first and walks towards her beloved daughter Max, as Esther then appears trying to manipulate Kate by reaching out to her calling her ‘mummy’ in which Kate replies ‘I’m not your mummy’ and kicks her back into the river.