El Orfanato
2007 / 105m - Spain
Horror
3.5*/5.0*
The Orphanage poster

Watches

October 01, 2024

3.5*/5.0*

Spanish horror cinema had a little renaissance during the late 00s. The Orphanage was one of the front-runners, but there have been so many copycats since, that this film lost some of its original appeal. It's still a stylish slow-burner with some decent scares, but that's not enough to set it apart from the many others.

The film is a bit slow to start and the scares are predictable. The performances are solid though and the cinematography is pristine. The soundtrack adds to the mood and the tension ramps up as the finale draws closer. But there's no real climax here and there isn't enough to make the film stand out. Worth a watch if you haven't already, but it's not what I call a personal favorite nowadays.

March 09, 2008

4.0*/5.0*

[review pending]