Orphan

"There's something wrong with Esther."

2009 2h 3m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 5,806

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.

“There's something wrong with Esther.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Vera Farmiga
Kate
Peter Sarsgaard
John
Isabelle Fuhrman
Esther
CCH Pounder
Sister Abigail
Jimmy Bennett
Daniel
Margo Martindale
Dr. Browning
Karel Roden
Dr. Värava
Aryana Engineer
Max

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writers: Alex Mace, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Languages: English, Estonian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Estonian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Orphan Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, shot by Jeff Cutter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Ottman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Timothy Alverson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard and Isabelle Fuhrman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jaume Collet-Serra directs. Jeff Cutter behind the camera. John Ottman scores. Timothy Alverson cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Estonian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Estonian.
4Part of the "Orphan Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, shot by Jeff Cutter. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by John Ottman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Timothy Alverson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard and Isabelle Fuhrman carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "There's something wrong with Esther.".
10IMDB entry: tt1148204 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 13 themes, including "nun", "deaf-mute", "orphan", "troubled marriage".
12Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jeff Cutter
Original score: John Ottman
Editing: Timothy Alverson
Production design: Tom Meyer
Costume design: Antoinette Messam
Makeup / hair: Sophie Labrecque
VFX supervisor: Edson Williams
Sound: Ron Bartlett
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $77,912,251
Return: 390% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Orphan (2009)

Part of

Orphan Collection

A series of horror-thriller films about a diminutive young woman who assumes a new identity as an orphaned girl named Esther.

Also by

Jaume Collet-Serra

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Screwamazon2016-02-20
★ 10/10
Isabelle Fuhrman gives an epic performance. I can't really say too much without giving away spoilers, but I can see why she ended up being Clove!
CinemaSerf2022-11-04
★ 6/10
I had a problem with this right from the start. Just how this young girl from eastern Europe managed to get herself placed in a wealthy American family without any semblance of blood or DNA checks to establish - for real - that she was who the father "John" (Peter Sarsgaard) desperately wanted her to be. Though I did enjoy the film thereafter, that implausibility was never far from the back of my mind as we see the monster that is "Esther" (a strong performance from Isabelle Fuhrman) develop around us causing havoc and mayhem for the "Coleman" family - recently recovering from their own tragic bereavement. The concept is fascinating - an adult (and a ruthless and unstable one at that) in the persona of a child using innocence as the ultimate tool for deception is cleverly delivered by the cast and from the pen of Alex Mace. The wintry scenario and the John Ottman score also contribute well to a genuine sense of menace as those who get in her way are unceremoniously snuffed out. She even manages to ensnare the services of a young and vulnerable accomplice, too! It's a perfect example of hiding in plain sight, and is certainly one of the more effective role-playing, psychological, horror films I have seen.
Andre Gonzales2023-07-22
★ 8/10
This is a great movie. It's one of those movies you can only watch once though. Any more after that you know what's going on. Great ending but it ruins the movie from ever watching it again. Can't wait to see the sequel though.