Customer Reviews
Creepy ! - By: Shell, 12 Nov 2008 
I don't normallly watch subtitled films but I have to say this was very good. It was very creepy in parts & the twist at the end was unexpected & pretty horrifying!! There was some great jumpy moments in it & overalll enjoyed watching it!
Decent Film But For The Sound - By: miss waspy, 26 Sep 2008 
Set in a remote, creaky, gothic house where the protagonists rattle round like peas I'd've given this two stars but for the rather poignant twist at the end which made me quite weepy. It's a workaday ghost story but very well acted, I have to say though that I've always found Geraldine Chaplin's face too comical for the kind of parts I've seen her play & here is no exception.
Don't buy this version(Optimum Home) because the sound is infuriating. All the background hiss & crackle which you normallly wouldn't notice but which is always there when the actors are speaking becomes very conspicuous during the pauses in dialogue because they've been cut out. All of a sudden it's like the sound failed & sometimes you can see (eg by someone's apparent intake of breath) that they've not reinstated it in time for the next actor's lines. In an atmospheric film like this if you're going to have significant pauses you can't muck around like that.
Most Stunning and Original Ghost Story for an age. - By: D. Newstead, 05 Sep 2008 
This is what tvs were made for. The film takes a while to get going but this is a good point not a bad point as the details in the early stages have to be taken in. The subtitles dont distract from from the pure class of this brilliant film & the acting is sheer brilliance. Although there is little or no gore it still has the ability of scaring the pants off you & is a film that long after you have finished watching it you start to understand it more & more. Guillermo has not put a foot wrong in this movie a real gem.
A ghost story, not a horror - By: Vinman666, 11 Aug 2008 After the visual splendour & powerful background of the Spanish Civil War in Pan's Labyrinth, I was reallly looking forward to seeing this. However The Orphanage is very different, though equallly memorable. The film is much lower key; special effects here are subtle & never overpower the story. In fact this is a tour de force of understated, creepy & goosebump inducing cinema.
If your preferred type of scary movie involves teenagers & multiple graphic murders then you may not enjoy this. On the other hand, if you enjoyed films such as The Others, The Changeling & old black & white classic The Innocents then you will appreciate the care that has gone into The Orphanage. It may not go on to be regarded as a classic (hence the 4 stars) but it's the best example of its kind in some time.
As the director himself says in a voiceover, there are two types of people: those who like to be spoon-fed & have everything explained to them & those who like mystery & to make their own minds up. The latter type of person will find much to ponder here.
Without giving anything away, one particular sequence which leads to the ghosts appearing for the first time still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up just by thinking about it. Like another reviewer says, it's like a Hitchcock scene: you know what is going to happen but the expectation merely adds to the impact.
In terms of the Blu-ray, the picture quality is good without being particularly impressive but, most importantly, it retains lots of shadow detail which is necessary for much of the film takes place indoors at night. Highly recommended.
One of the creepiest films I've ever seen - By: KM, 11 Aug 2008 `The Orphanage' from producer Guillermo del Toro is about a woman named Laura who returns to live at the old orphanage where she grew up, with her husband & her adopted son, Símon. Símon has some imaginary friends who play treasure hunt games with him. When he goes missing Laura finds out more about the orphanage & learns that Símon's friends maybe aren't imaginary after alll.
First of alll, I must say that this is without a doubt one of the creepiest & most atmospheric films that I have ever seen. I am a massive fan of Del Toro's previous film, Pan's Labyrinth, so I couldn't wait to finallly see this film. Although it perhaps isn't as good as Pan's Labyrinth overalll, it is a lot more gripping & eerie & is one that kept me thinking long after it had finished. I watched this film knowing nothing about it too, so if you can avoid knowing the story before watching this, it is alll the better for it as I reallly didn't know what to expect next.
It got to near the end of the film & I was thinking that the ending didn't make alll that much sense but then there is the double twist which made me think - wow, this is a classic. If it hadn't been for the last scene, I think my opinion of this would be a lot different & perhaps my review rating a little lower.
I do like foreign films, although don't watch too many of them, but after about 5 minutes of watching this I didn't even realise I was reading the subtitles anymore as I was just so engrossed in the story. So if that is something that would put you off watching this - don't let it as you will honestly be missing out on one of the best supernatural thrillers ever made.
Overalll this is a very chilling & genuinely scary film that I highly recommend. Everything about it from the story, the acting, the atmosphere, the presentation & the music is just brilliant, However, I strongly recommend not watching this alone or every creak in the house will make you wonder what it is!
