Orphan: First Kill (spoilers)

 3/4

Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Matthew Finland, Hiro Kanagawa

Rated R for Bloody Violence, Language and Brief Sexual Content

2009's "Orphan" was a superior "stranger within" horror movie.  It was noteworthy for the controversy it created (adoption and foster care agencies complained about how it put the practice in a bad light...not unreasonably) and for its violence.  The child-on-child violence was unsettling to the point where it nearly went too far.  Ultimately, though, that's what gave the film its edge.  Add in a brilliantly creepy performance by then-unknown Isabelle Furhman, and it added up to a movie that packed in the thrills.

It also told a complete story.  "Orphan" had a clear beginning, middle and end, killing its possibility as a franchise.  Instead, they made a prequel.  Although I was skeptical, the movie won me over.  I was surprised at the fact that I enjoyed "Orphan: First Kill."

A word to the warning: do not watch this movie if you haven't seen the original.  In fact, do not read this review at all if you haven't seen it.  "Orphan" had one hell of a plot twist, and while some series do well when they are watched in a narratively chronological order, this isn't one of them.  You have been warned.

Leena (Fuhrman) is one of the most dangerous patentees at the Saarne Institute.  Her skills as a con artist are matched only by her propensity of violence.  But a woman that smart doesn't stay caged for long, and soon she escapes.  Leena decides that the best way to get out of dodge is to pose as the missing child of a wealthy family.  The Albrights seem like the all-American family: Tricia (Stiles) is a charity-boosting heiress, Allen (Sutherland) is a successful artist, and Gunnar (Finland) is a champion fencer.  The fourth member of their family, a bright little girl named Esther, went missing four years ago.  Leena couldn't have found a more perfect mark, except...

Well, I won't spoil it for you.  Like its predecessor, "Orphan: First Kill" contains a plot twist you won't see coming.  However, it comes halfway through and it upends the entire film.  It turns a horror film into a macabre black comedy.  There is something amusing about an array of ghastly characters trying to out-evil each other.

Isabelle Fuhrman returns to the role that will define her career.  No matter how far her talent takes her, she'll always be remembered for playing the psychopathic Esther.  Considering how genuinely frightening she was in the role, it's not unreasonable.  However, "Orphan: First Kill" demands more from Fuhrman than being able to scare the audience.  Instead of pure malevolence, we see her thought process.  She's smart (usually), sizes up her situation and makes her choices.  It's true that giving Esther depth robs her of her ability to scare the audience, but she's more of an antihero here than anything.  Self-preservation is her first priority.

I've always wondered what happened to Julia Stiles.  Once one of the leading teen queens, Stiles fell off the radar as so many do.  Which is a shame because she's a really good actress.  She rarely gets to bare her teeth, and while this isn't one of her best performances, it does show how dearly she was missed.  Rossif Sutherland is adequate as a man who is clueless by necessity.  And Matthew Finland is just okay as the entitled brat.

"Orphan: First Kill" is at best a curiosity for fans of the 2009 chiller.  They're too divergent in tone to have much value connected to each other, and is of no use to those who haven't seen or did not like the original.  But it takes chances and, for what it is, I enjoyed it.