There’s nothing quite like the release of a prequel/sequel no one seemed to be clamoring to see. In 2009, Paramount’s mid-budget horror Orphan was as much an unexpected hit as its clever twist ending. Vera Farmiga (pre-The Conjuring) was a strong casting choice as a mother who takes in a possibly psycho 9-year-old named Esther, who hailed from Russia. The body count, along with a strange affinity for 19th-century Lizzie Borden attire, was raised. Yet the ending felt pretty final.
(warning: spoilers for the original film follow)
Thirteen years later, Paramount+ is streaming a prequel (also available in select theaters). After she orchestrates a bloody and clever escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Leena, aka Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman, reprising her role) finds herself taken in by a wealthy American family. The catch? No longer an orphan, Esther claims to be the family’s biological daughter who went missing four years ago. Will her new mom, dad, and brother really believe she’s their blood, or was the loss of the real Esther so great that they’ll mentally buy in? Regardless of their choice, there will be regrets.
The script by David Coggeshall wisely assumes we all know that Esther is not a child but a 30-year-old woman with a rare disease that stunts her growth. For those who haven’t seen the first film, all the necessary information is doled out by a de facto psychiatrist at the Saarne Institute opener. Esther, played by Fuhrman, who definitely appears older than she did in 2009, couldn’t visually sell the 9-year-old kid look as easily anymore. So viewers will need to just accept Fuhrman’s looks in 2022. The actress is still game to add new layers to the character, so it’s easy to let this go. After all, a child actor can’t just replace Furhman. The role is inherently tied to actually being a grown woman.
The real question is whether the rest of the story, where Esther finds herself yet again (or “first” as it’s a prequel) in the new family’s home, will simply retread the story beats of the first film. The truth is, with clever kills, the Orphan series could have done just that. Yet, like another horror series by the same director, William Brent Bell (The Boy), this film wanted to up the game like the Child’s Play sequels. Chucky is in many ways the pioneer of both little “boy” Brahams and little “girl” Esther. Most will watch Orphan: First Kill for the inventive kills, but thankfully, the film’s middle act has fun, pulpy twists and turns.
Esther’s new family is the Albrights. The father, Allen (Rossif Sutherland), is an artist. The son, Gunnar (Matthew Finlan), attends a private school and, apparently, is an expert at fencing because he is a rich kid (and that will surely be important in the last act). The real star of the family – arguably the whole film – is the mother, Tricia, played by Julia Stiles. I would never spoil the plot, so just know Tricia can handle a tiny psycho of a daughter like Esther. The dynamic relationship between the two makes the prequel 100% worth its creation. Who knew Stiles was so capable of playing a badass? Clearly, she should have been in the field way more times alongside Jason Bourne.
Orphan: First Kill’s best run is the meaty, unexpected middle act. The opening thirty minutes felt like the plot would merely be a retread of the first film, but happily, all is forgiven by the whacked-out mid-section. The finale though bloody fun, can’t quite top what previously happened, but overall, this 95 min horror flick delivers.
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL IS PLAYING IN THEATERS AND STREAMS ON PARAMOUNT+ ON AUGUST 18, 2022.
