Orphan (R)
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This came out in 2009, but I didn't see it until 2025. There's a plost twist near the end that I'm not going to spoil, but I knew about it for many years before I finally saw the movie. I'm not sure how necessary it was to the plot, but it was okay, and knowing it in advance didn't ruin the movie for me. I wouldn't say that it's a great movie, but I did like it well enough. I could have put my review under "psychological horror", but I feel more comforatble labeling it a "thriller".

Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) and her husband, John, have two kids: a 12-year-old boy named Daniel, and a 5-year-old girl named Max (who is nearly deaf). They recently lost their third child, Jessica, when she was stillborn. They've decided to adopt a child, and go to an orphanage, which is run by nuns including Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder). They meet a 9-year-old girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), from Russia, and quickly fall for her charms, and choose her as their new daughter. Max immediately enjoys having a big sister, but Daniel dislikes her.

Well, Esther seems very sweet at first, but eventually she starts saying and doing disturbing things. Max and Daniel both have reason to fear her, and don't tell their parents about anything she's done. But Kate develops her own suspicions about Esther, and takes her to see her therapist, Dr. Browning (Margo Martindale), who falls for Esther's act of innocence. John becomes increasingly mistrustful of Kate's instincts, which nearly causes her to relapse into her alcoholism. And that adds to both John and Dr. Browning's mistrust of Kate. And things just get worse and worse for the entire family, while Kate investigates Esther's mysterious past. I don't want to give away any specifics of what Esther does throughout the film, but it's pretty damn bad.

And I guess that's all I want to say about the plot. I thought all the actors did a fine job, especially Fuhrman. She really made Esther adorable early on, and later genuinely creepy. And I don't really know what else to say.

Followed by a prequel, called "Orphan: First Kill".