Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra | Now Streaming On: Prime | Rating: 5/5

As I was prepping my review of Orphan: First Kill, I felt that the context of my thoughts and relationship to the first were too relevant not to share. Orphan was one of the first horror films I remember watching. I caught the end of it as my parents watched it on DVD in my living room – I was hooked. Esther held a special place in my heart for a decade and after a recent rewatch, it’s clear she never left.

Orphan brings the gritty and dark vibe of the horror films of this era. The color palette of this film and Insidious, released just a year later, is identical. There is something so eerie about the green-blue chill these scenes have. It features some of the best horror acting of its time with the entire cast holding their own as believable and likable characters that we feel for. The standout stars are Isabelle Fuhrman and Vera Farmiga, who’s performances as Esther and Kate still make me viscerally uncomfortable to this day.

Orphan has become known for its trademark twist. Watching this at 12 years old I thought this was the wildest shit I’d ever seen. Now at 24, that twist is still too good. If you go into this film knowing absolutely nothing – I think this twist is very hard to see coming. I find it hard to grapple with the critiques that say this film is formulaic when in many ways, Orphan set the stage for the rebirth of the psycho-child narrative that died out in the 90s.

Much like my review and rating of Mama, another cornerstone of my personal horror journey, maybe my praise of this film is a little bolstered. However, it’s hard to deny the watchability that comes with the suspense and dread of this film, as it borders thriller and horror in all the right ways. The film does lack diversity and so much of me wished this would be resolved in First Kill, but that was the first of many disappointments in the prequel. If you haven’t seen this yet, this is a must watch for casual and veteran horror fans alike.

Know Before You Watch: Features animal death, death, blood, flashing lights.