The Orphanage / El orfanato

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 11, 2007 (Spain) / December 28, 2007 (USA)

DVD Release Date: April 22, 2008

Plot 411: Mysterious things occur when a woman and her family return to the orphanage where she grew up.

Review: In this film, Laura (Belen Rueda), her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and their adopted son Simon (Roger Princep) return to an old orphange in Spain where Laura grew up. She hopes to renovate it and turn it into a place for sick children. However, as she and her family spend more time there, Simon starts to play with an invisible friend named Tomas (Oscar Casas). Simon reveals that Tomas wears a bag on his head, and this is very disconcerting for Laura. Rightly so, in my opinion! Why is it that sack people are so goddamn scary? I swear they're a lot creepier than Jason, Michael or Freddie put together. After a fight between Tomas and Laura, Tomas goes missing. Laura begins to hear weird sounds in the house as if there are children playing. Lured by the kids to play the games she played as a child, she soon uncovers the deadly secrets that the house hides and is frightened her son will never be found. This is a true masterpiece in the horror and thriller genre. I completely recommend this if you want a tense, high-stress movie to watch. It is so different from American horror films (no cheap scares here) and I found it easier to follow than Asian horror films. The cinematography was eerily beautiful, and when combined with the isolated set and score, it really got your imagination going.

Watch It: For a full-on freak fest that's exceptionally well done.

Skip It: If you plan to go anywhere near an isolated beach or forest area.