RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Orphan
Orphan

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Orphan (2009)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
55 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:135

Fresh:74

Rotten:61

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: While it has moments of dark humor and the requisite scares, Orphan fails to build on its interesting premise and degenerates into a formulaic, sleazy horror/thriller.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:07-08-2009

Synopsis: The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her... The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther. Almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, however, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there’s something wrong with Esther—this seemingly angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. Concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone. --© Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett

Director: Jaume Collet-Sera

Director: Jaume Collet-Sera
Screenwriter: David Leslie Johnson
Story: Alex Mace
Producer: Joel Silver, Susan Downey, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Leonardo DiCaprio
Composer: John Ottman
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Cover
    >
    Never Heard of Her
    >
    Burn the Evidence
    >
  • Patience and Understanding
    >
    We'll Scare Her
    >
    Dropped Your Books
    >
    Video Interviews
    >
1 - 4 of 8

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Orphan

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
121 - 135 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Director Jaume Collet-Serra moves Orphan along efficiently, doling out a 'boo!’ shot every few minutes with mechanical professionalism.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
07/23/09
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

If director Jaume Collet-Serra set out to make a parody of horror-film clichés, he succeeded brilliantly.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
07/23/09
Keith Phipps
Keith Phipps
AV Club

Fifty years ago viewers were both shocked and riveted by The Bad Seed, and thirty years ago they went for the ride with The Omen, but to make such old-fashioned and trashy horror flick in 2009 is both courageous and bizarre, to say the least.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
07/23/09
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

During a summer with the usual transforming robots and young wizards, this chilly flick is a bit of a break, and there are worse options than letting this Orphan in the door.

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
07/23/09
Kevin C. Johnson
Kevin C. Johnson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The problem with Orphan isn't merely that the film is idiotic--it's that it's also sleazy, formulaic and repellant.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
07/23/09
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Despite director Jaume Collet-Serra's apt use of running children's laughter for jolt scares, the suspense generated from Esther's early lunatic behavior is of a mild, amusing variety.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 1 Comment
07/23/09
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine

A thoroughly enjoyable demon-spawn movie in the tradition of The Bad Seed (1956) and The Other (1972).

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment 2 Comments
07/23/09
Newsday

Here is a shamelessly effective horror film based on the most diabolical of movie malefactors, a child.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 10 Comments
07/23/09
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Pristine horror fodder had the script maintained some gumption and cheerfully waltzed into a wonderland of sleaze. Instead, it pulls every last punch...a seriously tasteless motion picture, but it's equally as spineless.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
07/23/09
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

House of Wax director Jaume Collet-Serra returns to the horror genre with Orphan, a clumsy thriller that elicits far more laughs than genuine scares. Like too many horror films these days, the movie is so rife with false scares or misleading

Full Review Source: AskMen.com | comment Comment
07/23/09
Rick Mele
Rick Mele
AskMen.com

Teasingly enjoyable rubbish through the first hour, Orphan becomes genuine trash during its protracted second half.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/22/09
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Director Jaume Collet-Serra, working from a devilishly clever script by David Leslie Johnson, maintains steady suspense while mercifully mixing in some moments of dark humor.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
07/22/09
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

A pretty interesting movie about the crack-up of an American family lies right under the filmmakers' noses, but in their rush to deliver shock and gore they miss every opportunity to make a smart movie.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
07/22/09
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Orphan works because it's a film that knows exactly what it wants to be -- creepy as all get out -- and does everything possible to achieve that goal.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment 8 Comments
07/22/09
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

It feels too slow and moody for the Halloween crowd and too absurd and silly for more discriminating horror fans.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
07/22/09
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
 
 
121 - 135 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
all

Latest News for Orphan

August 03, 2009: Watch RT This Week on Current TV
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...

July 23, 2009: Critics Consensus: Orphan Is Mixed Bag
This week at the movies, we've got an evil adoptee (Orphan, starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard), a battle of the sexes (The Ugly Truth, starring Katherine Heigl and... More...

July 23, 2009: Box Office Guru Preview: Ugly Truth and G-Force Battle Potter
As Harry Potter inches closer to graduating wizard school, the box office prince will face three new releases opening on Friday each targeting its own specific audience. Sony... More...

July 23, 2009: Total Recall: Evil Movie Kids
Kids say the darndest things -- we all knew it even before Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby turned wisdom from the mouths of babes into TV comedy gold. But some of Hollywood's most... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
21
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
159
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
69
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
49
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
48
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
45
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
30
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Orphan at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Orphan at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.