Movie Review: ‘Orphan First Kill’

Review by James Lindorf

There have been a lot of online discussions about which order you should watch the Star Wars franchise. Should you watch it in story order and follow the Skywalker saga from beginning to end, or should you watch it in the order they were released? While that subject is up for debate when it comes to “Orphan” and the sequel “Orphan: First Kill,” there is no question that you need to watch the 2009 original first. The shocking moment in that movie is revealed in the first five minutes of the long-awaited sequel. Fans looking to learn where Esther got her start will have three different ways to watch her make her first kill on August 19th. Paramount will unleash the deadly pre-teen in theaters on Paramount+ and make it available for digital rental for those who don’t want to venture outside or subscribe to another streaming service.

In 2009 on a $20 million budget, “Orphan” brought in $78 million at the box office. When you add in rentals and streaming, it would have at least doubled its production and advertising budget. Something that would seem to get a sequel greenlit is less than 13 months, but here we are 13 years later. During that time, we have seen the rights move from Warner Brothers to Paramount Players. A wing of Paramount that specializes in bringing people from a Paramount television subsidiary to the big screen. It was created after Paramount missed out on smash hits “Get Out” and “Trainwreck” from Comedy Central alums Jordan Peele and Amy Schumer. Between those projects, they look for movies that offer dependable returns with little risk, and “Orphan” fits that bill perfectly.

To helm their prequel, Paramount turned to veteran horror director William Brent Bell. Bell has experience in many styles of horror, from the supernatural to creature features to religious-themed. He had his greatest success in 2016 with “The Boy.” Also new to the series is writer David Coggeshall. Coggeshall has spent most of his time working in television but has made forays into horror, notably with “Scream: The TV Series.” Perhaps the biggest challenge for the newcomers and cinematographer Karim Hussain (Hobo with a Shotgun) was working with returning star Isabelle Fuhrman. The 25-year-old actress again plays a 9-year-old, 13 years after doing it the first time. Fuhrman is a talented young actress who can disappear into her roles and excels at playing intense characters as she did in “The Novice.” According to Google, Fuhrman is 5’3”, and while that puts her well short of giant, I have yet to meet a 9-year-old that height.

Through forced perspective, a little extra makeup, and the occasional use of a body double, Fuhrman convincingly plays the murderous pre-teen in nearly every scene very. “Orphan: First Kill” follows Esther from her daring escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility to her plan to impersonate the missing daughter of a wealthy American family. Good times only last so long before people begin asking questions about her behavior and where she has been the last few years. When her answers don’t line up, some become suspicious that this miracle is something far more sinister. The one thing Ester didn’t plan on is the family having secrets and a dark side of its own, and her arrival puts everything on a collision course.

Fuhrman is again excellent as the mysterious and creepy Esther. Still, the biggest shock in the entire movie is the performance of Julia Stiles, who plays Tricia Albright, the mother of the missing girl. Stiles is a cinema staple for 90’s kids with hits like “Save the Last Dance, ”10 Things I Hate About You,” and the Bourne series. It was a bit of a surprise that I didn’t recognize her the second she stepped into the frame. Part of it is that she traded her regular blonde locks for dark brown, but most of it is because this is possibly the best performance I have ever seen her give. I have missed many recent entries to her filmography, so this could be on par with what she has been doing lately. But I was impressed by her performance as the mother who would do anything for her family.

“Orphan: First Kill” is a step up from the original film with better supporting performances, a few decent kills, and a better twist. The first film’s surprise, while interesting, doesn’t impact the story in the way this one does, making it inferior. The cinematography is the biggest issue with “Orphan: First Kill” beyond its deranged multi-talented and diminutive killer capable of so many things. So many scenes look like there is mist in the air or something smeared on the lens. Not enough to make things blurry or out of focus, just enough to be hazy and distracting. With a different creative choice and a streamlined look to the film, I could have added an extra half of a point to its score. For now, it will remain as a 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director: William Brent Bell
Producer: Alex Mace, Hal Sadoff, Ethan Erwin, James Tomlinson
Writer: David Coggeshall
Release Date: August 19th, 2022
Runtime: 1h 39m
Distributor: Paramount Players