Orphan: First Killisn’t impressive on any particular level, but it does manage to avoid the most obvious pitfall a prequel toOrphanwould suffer. It isn’t a page-one retread of the original film, nor is it a self-indulgent mess obsessed with stuff fans demanded from the first film. Instead, it’s a semi-competent thriller with one or two decent twists.
The original film’s director isbusy withBlack Adamat the moment, so the prequel comes to cinemas and streaming from William Brent Bell. Bell isn’t the most respected horror filmmaker in Hollywood, with hilarious video game horror filmStay Alive,the tragicBoyfranchise, andThe Devil Insideunder his belt. At the risk of damning with faint praise,Orphan: First Killmay be his best film yet.
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Those who haven’tseen the firstOrphanfilm should go and watch it first becauseFirst Killspoils it in the first few minutes. It’s also generally a better film that serves as a solid litmus test for the prequel. The aspects ofFirst KIll’s story that are interesting wouldn’t be particularly notable to someone who hadn’t seen the original and anyone who didn’t enjoy the 2009 thriller won’t have their mind changed. The first film is something of a mystery. A lot of its selling point is tied up in whatexactly is going onwith the titular orphan, a little Russian girl named Esther. Once the film answers the central question, it’s mostly over, but the prequel seeks to build upon the original with a new idea.
Despite the title, the plot ofFirst Killdoes not depict little Esther’s first murder. Instead, it tells the story that leads immediately to the beginning of the 2009 original. Isabelle Fuhrman reprises her role asEsther Albright, real name Leena Klammer, an adult woman with a rare condition that keeps her looking young forever. The film finds Leena in a mental institution after she murdered the last family she tricked into adopting her. This has become something of a pattern for Leena, who quickly escapes the institution to do it all over again. She embeds herself as the missing daughter of a wealthy American family and sets to work trying desperately to blend in. One disaster after another gradually reveals that the family she chose ishiding some dark secrets as well, leading to a tense struggle that threatens the lives of everyone involved.
There are a lot of important things thatOrphan: First Killcannot manage to do right. It’s not scary, largely because it continues to rely onoverdone evil kid tropesand largely meaningless spooky imagery. Glow in the dark paint and multiple-layered Chekhov’s guns fail to inspire fear. There are one or two excellent pieces of set design that don’t get enough attention, some viewers might just miss them entirely. The dark comedy that earned the first film praise is extremely hit-and-miss here, never inspiring more than a chuckle. Many of the characters don’t behave in ways even vaguely resembling normal human beings and the overwhelming majority of central figures are unlikeable to the point of disgust. Much of the family drama has the feel of a soap opera trying way too hard to stay alive. Despite these fairly obvious failings, the film does improve upon the 2009 original in a couple of key ways.
For one thing, the first film had no justification for being over two hours long.First Killis a tight 90-minutes with extremely well-defined acts, and that improvement in pacing is extremely helpful. While the first film carried itself with a unique, if slightly misused,sense of gothic horror,First Killhas happily embraced the camp aspects of its presentation. This occasionally results in a more fun experience, possibly better aligning it with its audience. Honestly, the crowd best suited to enjoyOrphan: First Killwould be barred from seeing it without their parents at the theater. Luckily, releasing the film on Paramount Plus allows it to reach the perfect viewing audience; middle and high school students at sleepover parties. This is going to be someone’s first horror movie, and they will grow up with fond memories. They could do considerably worse.
Hardcore fans ofOrphanwill find a lot to love inFirst Kill. It’s been thirteen years since the original film’s release, and there is unquestionably a thriving community of people who would count the original among their favorite horror films. The prequel carries much of the iconography of the original while recontextualizing the narrative in an interesting new light.Not every horror filmcan be turned into a yearly sequel mill. Those who know howOrphanends likely understand the difficulties of making a sequel. This is likely the best possible outcome of trying to makeOrphanmore than it once was.Orphan: First Killwill likely find its audience of dedicated fans, but, for the average filmgoer whose just looking for a solid horror experience, there are plenty of better options. Fans likely won’t be seeing this one on any best or worst lists, but it’ll fill the space for 90 minutes.
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Orphan: First Kill
Leena Klammer, who suffers from hypopituitarism, resides in an Estonian psychiatric facility. After slaying several staff members and breaking out of the facility, Leena uses acquired knowledge about a missing girl named Esther. Taking on Esther’s identity, she presents herself to the police and inserts herself into the Albright family, setting in motion the events of the Orphan film.
