DVD Corner

Orphan: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

“Orphan” offers up a unique spin on the evil child horror subgenre.  

2009’s “Orphan” (which was recently followed by a solid prequel titled “Orphan: First Kill”) is a horror-thriller that revolves around a married couple (Kate and John) who have been struggling after the stillbirth of their daughter. The couple (who have a son and a daughter) decide to adopt an orphan from St. Mariana’s school for girls. They choose a Russian girl named Esther who seems exceptionally bright and courteous. After welcoming Esther into their home, Kate begins to notice that something is very off with Esther. She wears a collar and ribbons at all times, she’s clearly hiding secrets, and she exhibits signs of abnormal and violent behavior. John and others think Kate is paranoid, but her children know Esther is one bad girl having witnessed horrific things first hand. Who is Esther? What is she hiding? Does she pose a threat to the entire family?

Evil kid movies are a dime a dozen, but writer David Leslie Johnson’s “Orphan” script stands out from the rest due to its out-there twist ending. To say it’s a twist you will never see coming is an understatement (unless you heard about it in advance). The wild third act could have easily gone south but instead somehow makes the horror movie even more compelling. Seeing the two-faced Esther’s character arc unfold grabs the viewer and leaves them glued to the screen until the end credits roll. Until the third act, the narrative is pretty standard and evokes other evil kid movies of the past such as “The Good Son.” The end turns the story on its head in the best way possible. Director Jaume Collet-Serra also does an admirable job in ratcheting up the tension and including some inventive visuals such as the eerie blacklight sequence.

The performances very much aid “Orphan” with star power like Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard front and center. The 2 most notable performers, however, are Isabelle Furhman (as the ultra creepy Esther) and Aryana Engineer as Kate and John’s innocent deaf daughter Max. Furhman exhibited a real range even back in 2009 and managed to reprise the role with 2022’s “Orphan: First Kill” as if no time had passed.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? This new Scream Factory Blu-ray release contains a new 2K scan of the Interpositive. It’s a nice new transfer that offers up crisp colors (especially during the exterior shots). 

Audio Track: 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA effective  jump scare moments  action scenes

Extras:
* “Orphan” trailer
* 4 minutes of deleted scenes
*”SIlent Story- Interview With Composer John Ottman” (a new extra)
* Still gallery
* “Mama’s Little Devils: Bad Seeds And Evil Children”- A 15 minute featurette on the film.
* 4 brand new commentary tracks. One by film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham, the second by film critics Mike Saunders, Jason Bolinger, Tadd Good and Bryan Clark, a third by film critics Chris Alexander and Ali Chappell and the fourth by film critic Heather Wixson.

May 7, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Esther, Horror Movie, Orphan Blu-ray, Orphan Movie, Orphan: Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review, Scream Factory