Just when you think you may get to see exactly what you think, you are only somewhat surprised to see that you were mostly right.

"Orphan" is a cross between "The Omen" and "The Hand That Rocks the Craddle".

The film deals with a young orphan named Esther who is brought home by a couple whose marriage is in shambles after the death of an unborn child, a near tragic accident involving another child and infidelity.

Of course, as the trailers predicted, Esther goes bat shit and attempts to kill everyone in hopes of securing her one and only goal: going from daddy's little girl to daddy's little lover. Do I have your attention yet?

In comes the true problem: the script. The film's plot is murky. In delves into already seen territory with films that I have already mentioned. Perhaps another good comparison would be that of "The Good Son". The problem is, it's almost by the numbers and there are too many clues leading up to the "surprise" twist. The ending is also flat due to the twist and what could have been, which is a solid horror film that had something to say.

As the film stands now it is somewhat an edgy shock fest. Child whores? Bad orphans? It's enough to put the western world into a frenzy! Think of the children!!! I do, and this film only affirms my belief that children are evil.

Another major problem is the relationship of the parents. John and Kate (no, not those divorcees), are in the rut. Kate is coming off a drinking problem that almost claimed the life of her def daughter Max, as well as her own self loathing over the death of her stillborn daughter Jessica. John is coming off an infidelity. Once again, I'm not discussing that "reality" show. Somehow the two are still together, and they think adopting a daughter will fix their issues. Permanently fix is more like it.

Then we have John, who in the history of husbands and fathers for that matter, has to be clinically retarded. The film beats his character and the audience over the head at every possible turn. Each time Esther, a strange girl from Russia, does something wrong, he believes his wife has overreacted or is flat out lying. There is obviously a ton of trust coming from the cheater. In the end...well, let's just say a surprise isn't exactly what you get. Just desserts are more in order.

Finally, the only redeemable thing is the acting of Isabelle Fuhrman. The kid does a terrific job being evil. You believe her more than anything else. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities to play characters from Russia with love.

If you've seen horror films/thrillers in the past, you've seen this. Might as well resort to decent films, than spend time on this rubbish.

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