The Orphanage

THE ORPHANAGE (EL ORFANATO) (15)
D: Juan Antonio Bayona
Warner Bros/Picturehouse (Mar Targarona, Joaquin Padro & Alvaro Augustin)
Spain 2007
105 mins

Horror/Mystery

W: Sergio G. Sanchez
DP: Oscar Faura
Ed: Elena Ruiz
Mus: Fernando Velazquez
PD: Josep Rosell

Belén Rueda (Laura), Fernando Cayo (Carlos), Roger Princep (Símon), Montserrat Carulla (Beninga), Andrea Gertrudix (Enrique)

A woman moves into the orphanage where she lived as a child with her family, and soon comes to believe that her son has been kidnapped by the ghosts of her childhood playmates.
This effective Spanish chiller, reminiscent of The Innocents, The Others & 1982's Poltergeist does a terrific job in creating atmosphere through clever use of cinematography and music, as well as excellent leading performance from Belén Rueda.
The beginning and ending are brilliantly executed, and though the mid-section of the film does tend to drag, the scattering of jump scares and creepy moments makes up for the lagging progression of the mystery.
6/10

The Orphanage
The Orphanage