Orphan (2009)
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A couple's lives are thrown into chaos after they adopt a young girl with a dark and violent past.
The story
In Hamden, Connecticut, a couple struggling with the loss of their stillborn child decides to adopt a nine-year-old Russian girl named Esther from a local orphanage. While their younger daughter welcomes the newcomer, their older son is wary. As the family settles in, the mother, Kate, begins to notice unsettling behaviors from Esther, who displays an alarming amount of knowledge and hostility. The situation escalates when a local woman from the orphanage warns the parents about the dangers surrounding the girl, leading to a tense atmosphere of suspicion and fear as the parents try to determine the truth about their new daughter's identity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After adopting Esther, a nine-year-old girl from a local orphanage, Kate and John Coleman begin to notice her disturbing behavior, including violence toward others and a strange knowledge of adult topics. When a local woman from the orphanage is killed by Esther, the truth about the girl's past begins to surface. Kate discovers that Esther is not a child but a 33-year-old woman named Leena Klammer, who has a growth-stunting condition and has spent years posing as a child. Leena is revealed to be a violent criminal who has murdered multiple people. The tension culminates in a violent confrontation where Leena attacks the family. After a brutal struggle in the water, Kate manages to kill Leena, ending the threat to her family.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- United States; Canada; Germany; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jaume Collet-Serra
- Writers
- David Leslie Johnson · screenplay; Alex Mace · story
- Cast and characters
- Vera Farmiga; Peter Sarsgaard; Isabelle Fuhrman · Esther; CCH Pounder; Jimmy Bennett
- Genres
- psychological horror; mystery; thriller
- Themes
- adoption; identity; maternal instinct
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; disturbing
- Setting
- Hamden, Connecticut
- Premise and plot tags
- psychopathic child; hidden identity; horror
- Franchise connections
- Orphan
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $78.8 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 25
- Production trivia
- The character Esther was inspired by the real-life case of Barbora Skrlová.; The film was originally scheduled for a November 2008 release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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