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Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Review

“Orphan: First Kill” is twisted fun.

In this prequel to “Orphan,” the 2007 set story begins in Estonia where Leena is at a Psychiatric Hospital. Leena is an adult with a disorder known as hypopituitarism that causes her to have the appearance of a young girl. Leena manages to break out of the institute and decides to pose as the missing daughter of a rich American family named Esther. As she settles into becoming a member of the Albright family, she bonds with the father Allen, but soon discovers that the mother (Tricia) and son (Gunnar) are not who they appear to be.

The title “Orphan: First Kill” is a bit misleading as it’s not about Esther’s first kill. In fact, it is revealed that she killed people before she ended up in the hospital. It’s more about how Leena became Esther and how the film leads into the original. It also further explores the character of Esther who is more than just a murderous woman as she is capable of real human emotions.

It’s tough to discuss this William Brent Bell directed prequel without going into spoilers as the film heavily relies on a weird twist that turns the story on its head. David Coggeshall’s script tackles some curious angles about living lies and monsters facing monsters (so to speak) that work in the story’s favor. Is it far fetched and campy? Sure, but the direction the story takes undoubtedly elevates the movie. It only falls short in the end during a botched finale which is hampered by poor CGI and poor dramatic execution.

Despite there being a 13 year gap between movies, Isabelle Furhman crushes it as Esther once again. Not only does she give the character more layers, but she is supremely convincing as the creepy and conniving horror movie character. Julia Stiles (in an unusual role for her as Tricia), Rossif Sutherland (Allen) and Matthew Finlan (as the bratty Gunnar) also deliver strong performances.  

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. Grade B+

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: B+

The lone extra is a Digital copy.

October 13, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Esther, Horror Movie, Orphan, Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Review, Orphan: First Kill Prequel