The Lowdown: Haunting, tragic, and beautiful, The Orphanage (El Orfanato)is a Spanish mystery-horror-thriller that is both engrossing and emotionally-fulfilling. In short, it is a masterpiece.
1. The Plot:Laura (Belén Rueda), her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), and their adopted son Simón (Roger Príncep) move into a grand, old house that was once an orphanage. It turns out that Laura was raised in that very orphanage, and has plans to reopen the orphanage to help children with disabilities. In the meantime, Simón is lonely. One day, he tells Laura that he has invisible friends who want to play. Laura thinks they are imaginary, but when Simón disappears, Laura begins to feel the ominous presence of something else in the house, and she becomes determined to discover the truth and find Simón.
2. The Characters: Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside) is, quite simply, a great actress, able to handle the emotionally-demanding role of Laura. The same goes for Fernando Cayo, who portrays Carlos, Laura’s husband. Having grown up in the orphanage and having adopted a child herself, Laura understands both sides of the equation, which must be difficult. Increasing the amount of worry is that Simón has a disease which requires him to take pills every day. However, while Laura and Carlos are very aware of their adopted son’s mortality, Simón isn’t, and one can simply observe the pain on their faces whenever the subject is brought up.
Simón is portrayed by Roger Príncep, and he does a fine job as well, being able to handle being a playful little kid, and also being able to handle intense dramatic scenes when he discovers things that his parents wish that he hadn’t. Understandably, some things are heavy, and kids aren’t prepared for that sort of thing. The drama that these scenes create is heartwrenching and intense.
3. Multilayered: The Orphanage is not so much a horror film, but more of an emotional rollercoaster that occasionally drifts into horror territory. It is a ghost story, a mystery, a thriller, and a family drama all rolled into one, and the filmmakers and writers do a brilliant job of creating a balance between each of those elements. As a ghost story, the film goes into horror-mode, delivering the things that go bump in the night and the creepy little children running around the former orphanage. The pacing and the staging of these scenes in a spacious mansion filled with long, dark hallways ramps up the tension. One is always bracing himself or herself, expecting something to happen. The supernatural element also comes into play during one key scene where a paranormal expert and her tech assistant come to the house to investigate. If you’ve seen Poltergeist, Insidious, or films of that sort, then you know what to expect, but unlike those films, The Orphanage plays these scenes deadly serious.
The mystery in the film is deeply personal, as it partially stems from Laura’s childhood. She grew up in the orphanage, and after Simón’s disappearance, she suspects that something may have occurred there after she was adopted. To say that isn’t much of a spoiler, but there’s far more to the story. As layer after layer is unraveled, it becomes clear as to how much thought was put into the screenplay. And yet, when the film ends, everything is wrapped up nicely and neatly. You don’t see films like this very often. The most poignant element of the film is the emotional family drama that is the overall focus of the film. Laura, Carlos, and Simón represent a family that strives to remain happy, but a closer look reveals things that make family life more complicated. Laura and Carlos have adopted a child who has a long-term illness, and they worry about the day that they will have to tell Simón that he is adopted and ill. It’s such a simple dilemma, but the actors convey the gravity of the situation very well, and it’s impossible to not feel the tug on the heartstrings. Truly, The Orphanage is a beautiful film.
The Bottom Line: The Orphanage is a great film. It is well-acted, well-structured, and well-balanced; it is able to take so many elements from so many genres and making them all harmonize with each other. It is also so rare to come across a film that is so emotionally-draining and satisfying. I reiterate: The Orphanage is haunting, tragic, and beautiful. It earns my highest recommendation.The Orphange is property of Esta Vivo! Laboratorio de Nuevos Talentos, Grupo Rodar, and Rodar y Rodar Cine y Televisión. This review was written by me.
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