Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona
Written by Sergio G. Sánchez
Starring Geraldine Chaplin, Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Edgar Vivar
Rated R for mild violence, mild profanity, and kids in creepy masks.
In the Halloween edition of Hidden Gems , we started out in Mexico/Spain (production companies are in both countries), went to South Korea, over to Thailand, and now we return to Mexico/Spain. The common link here is Guillermo del Toro, the director of The Devil’s Backbone, who helped produce El Orfanato and essentially put it on the map. Sánchez finished the script in 1996. He wanted to direct the film but was turned down by several production companies. He took the script to Bayona. Bayona loved it but wanted to make some changes which would make it necessary to increase the budget and filming time. So he went to his good friend del Toro, and the rest is cinematic history.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2007. When it was over, the audience gave an ovation that lasted for ten minutes. In Spain, the film won 14 Goya Awards including Best Picture. So what’s the big deal?
I first saw The Orphanage about a year ago. As soon as it was over, I decided it was simply one of the best horror films I’d ever seen. I know we all have our nostalgia picks for various films, but sometimes a new one comes along that is legitimately heads above the rest.
The film is set in Spain at an orphanage for special-needs children. Laura (Belén Rueda) grew up in this orphanage but now, she has moved there with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), and their seven-year-old , Simón (Roger Príncep) who is also adopted but doesn’t know it of course. Simón is also sick. He has HIV, and is being treated. One night, Laura goes into his room to see him talking to invisible friends. Laura plays it off as typical child fantasies. Then while exploring a cave one day, she finds Simón talking to another invisible friend…this one is named Tomás. Simon confides in Laura that he has six invisible friends.
I’ve said before that atmosphere and mood are critical components of horror. If you don’t have that, your film falls on its face fast. The Orphanage knocks it out of the park in this respect. It creaks, squeaks, groans, drips, and moans. The slowly moving camera. The score. The impeccable pacing. There is no formula for this…you just know it when you experience it.
The mood of the film is also enhanced by a terrific performance from Roger Príncep. In one key scene, he is telling his mom things that he couldn’t possibly know about himself. The discussion leads to his invisible friends and mortality.
Laura: Will you be like Peter Pan?
Simón: Like my new friends.
Laura: They won’t grow up either?
Simón: They can’t.
Of course, this is a ghost story, and there are unavoidable similarities that you’ll find in most of them. The Orphanage has some of these threads but it completely transcends the typical ghost story and adds some terrifying anxiety. Not long after the above discussion, Simón disappears, and the film also becomes a frantic search for a little boy. During this search, Laura begins to see and hear some very strange things, and seeks the help of a medium. Belén Rueda absolutely shines in this role as a beautiful, loving woman with the ferocious spirit of a tiger fighting to protect her cubs.
It’s hard to go into too much detail without ruining this film, but this is one deeply spooky movie. The orphanage holds some dark secrets (as these places usually do) that Laura must uncover. The fear isn’t that sticky, syrupy kind that stays with you for days making you feel like you need a shower. It’s that in-the-moment freakiness that makes you realize you probably need to change your underwear when it’s over. But at the same time, the film is sweet and tender. Like The Devil’s Backbone, it left me emotional but even more so. The film is a devastating and affecting journey (especially the very last frame) that will scare the hell out of you along the way. This is a real treat that you must see if you have any interest in this genre.
Below is the trailer which gives a terrific feel for the film without ruining it. Ignore the cheesy voice-over.
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