Perhaps it stems from thousands of years of instinct that guards against being killed or having our goods and/or mates stolen, but most people to this day still have one degree or another of built-in distrust of strangers. Hollywood has long known and capitalized on that mistrust and/or fear, pitting their characters against strangers who enter their lives in both suspense/thrillers and standard horror flicks.
While some involve the would-be victims being the strangers in the killer's domain ("Friday the 13th"), far more have the villain entering the protagonist's world and especially their homes. A subset of that is the "safe stranger" plot where a character is invited into one's abode, initially deemed okay since they seem normal and/or are now part of the family.
Such flicks then have questionable things start occurring, with the main character being the first to express doubt, while others there shrug off and/or try to dispel what appear to be wild-sounding accusations. By the time those naysayers realize the protagonist was right, it's often too late as the outsider is now in full homicidal mode, culminating in the climatic and violent showdown.
"Orphan" is the latest example of the "safe stranger" plot. As directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a screenplay by David Johnson, it tells the tale of a reportedly nine-year-old Russian orphan (Isabelle Fuhrman) who's quite mature and talented for her age and thus charms her potential new parents (Vera Farmiga & Peter Sarsgaard) into becoming the new sister to their other kids (Jimmy Bennett & Aryana Engineer).
Unless you come across this suspense/horror flick with little to no knowledge about it, don't see or sense the immediate signs that things aren't as innocent as they seem, or perhaps arrived or tuned in after the opening nightmare sequence, there's little doubt where this thing's headed.
Although it might throw some deeper thematic elements into the mix (the aftermath of a stillborn child as well as past drinking and adulterous events) that are designed not only to make the characters more human (and thus sympathetic) but also serve as plot-related doubts further into the story, this is little more than an exploitative thriller, albeit something of a progressively preposterous but somewhat goofily fun one at that.
That said, one's reaction to the entire offering will depend on his or her tolerance for the increasingly shocking material as well as whether it's viewed alone or with a receptive crowd that's in on the "joke," if you will, and reacts accordingly. In fact, and despite usually hating watching advance screenings with crowds (due to constant disruptions, etc.) I'd have to say that if one is going to see this flick, it needs to be done en masse as a communal experience.
All of which means few if any such viewers will be surprised when little Esther's actions start turning ever more sinister, and the odds start stacking up against her mom Kate in convincing anyone about what's really occurring. Collet-Serra knows his way around the horror genre and initially toys with the viewer regarding various potential jumps scenes that turn out to be red herrings.
Unfortunately, the smarts end there as the director and screenwriter then resort back to the real thing, and those thrills are cheap and not particularly effective. They also throw in any number of other genre conventions, including preposterous and unbelievable character behavior and attitudes, as well as related story developments (or lack thereof) that just don't make sense.
The performances are generally okay -- especially considering the material with which the performers must work -- but it's Fuhrman who steals the show from the adults (although younger Aryana Engineer gives her a run for her money in terms of reactive expressions).
And that's not because she's the scariest kid character to come along since Damien or Regan, although she has her moments. Instead, it's that her screen creation goes to such extremes, many of them quite disturbing, that the young actress ends up headlining what's probably -- to put it politely and without using another, more profane adjective -- the most messed up mainstream film to be released this year.
Alas, Esther's behavior is eventually explained in the third act, and while it all makes sense in relation to what's already unfolded, that ends up letting some of the air out of this increasingly bizarre flick where its building outrageousness was its biggest entertainment factor.
By letting the cat out of the bag probably far too soon (and thus effectively but probably not wisely eliminating any doubt about what might be transpiring), the filmmakers had nowhere to go but full-bore with said material.
However, and considering the not always believable character behavior, questionable plot developments as well as omissions, and then wimping out with the conventional conclusion, "Orphan" might feel just like it title once it leaves theaters and the company of viewers willing to go along for the over-the-top ride. It rates as a 4 out of 10.
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