One of the film's strongest aspects is the outstanding performance by Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther. Fuhrman effortlessly embodies the complex and chilling nature of the character, showcasing her acting range and making Esther both captivating and unsettling to watch. Her portrayal adds depth and intensity to the film, making it worth seeing for her performance alone.

The prequel attempts to delve deeper into Esther's past, providing a backstory that sheds light on her twisted psyche. This exploration adds layers to the character, giving viewers a better understanding of her motivations. The psychological elements add intrigue and elevate the film beyond a simple slasher flick.

Orphan First Kill manages to create moments of genuine suspense and tension. Some scenes are expertly crafted, building up the anticipation and delivering chilling payoffs. These moments keep viewers on the edge of their seats, adding an undeniable thrill to the viewing experience.

On the other hand, the film suffers from pacing issues that hinder its overall impact. The narrative feels uneven, with certain scenes dragging on and others feeling rushed. This inconsistency disrupts the flow of the story, preventing full immersion in the plot and dampening the impact of key moments.

Despite Isabelle Fuhrman's compelling performance, the script fails to fully develop Esther's character. While the prequel attempts to provide depth, it falls short of delivering a truly nuanced exploration of her motivations. This missed opportunity leaves a sense of unfulfilled potential and prevents the film from reaching its full emotional and psychological impact.

The cinematography and production design are serviceable but fail to stand out. While they effectively contribute to the eerie atmosphere, they lack the visual flair and creativity that could have elevated the film to new heights.

One of the most underrated horror films of the 2000s is Orphan (2009). Many horror fans will probably agree that the 2000s wasn't exactly the best decade for the genre, but there were some brilliant exceptions here and there (The Descent (2005) and REC (2007) always stand out, for example). It surprises me that Orphan has been mostly forgotten by the masses, because it really is an exceptional piece of work. It's tense, the performances are all solid, and the twist is so fantastic that it boggles the mind that it isn't talked about more often. Nevertheless, Orphan: First Kill, a prequel film that nobody asked for, is here to reintroduce Esther (Fuhrman) into the public consciousness. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sceptical when I read that this film would be a prequel. Considering how Esther's true nature was revealed in the original's masterful third-act twist (I won't spoil it here), a great deal of tension has already been eliminated from any future storylines involving this antagonist. To my surprise, however, David Coggeshall manages to throw a few curveballs into the film's narrative to keep us on our toes, but regardless of a pretty ludicrous plot twist and some decent splatter, Orphan: First Kill doesn't measure up to the strengths of the original.

On the plus side, Isabelle Fuhrman slips back into the role of Esther effortlessly, and the filmmakers utilise some neat film trickery to withhold the illusion that she is supposed to be a thirteen-year-old girl. Fuhrman is twenty-five now, so it was always going to be a challenge to trick the audience into believing her portrayal of Esther as we once did back when she was the same age as the character. Arguably, this was one of the most important aspects of the film to get right, and I'm glad to say the filmmakers succeeded. The performances are decent enough and Julia Stiles works well alongside Fuhrman to create a unique dynamic that I wasn't anticipating. Where the film falters is a lack of genuine suspense, and the key twist here is, whilst intriguing, quite far-fetched. It doesn't pack the same punch as the original and the script changes gears so fast and so often that it never gives its ideas time to breathe. It's almost as if the filmmakers were uncomfortably conscious of the fact that the film's best trick has already been played in the original. In the end, Orphan: First Kill is a perfectly fine yet unnecessary horror film. A prequel to the original film was never going to hit in the same way, but for what it is, it's alright. Isabelle Fuhrman is once again a strong screen presence and there are some fun kills, but ultimately the film left me wondering if it really needed to exist in the first place.

The first Orphan was a little gem neatly buried in the bottom of a bin full of DVDs, this unfortunate thing is, well, not that.

As much as I had wanted to see a sequel, keep that in mind, a sequel, not a prequel (we'll use sequel here to mean a contemporary continuation of the storyline), I was, as almost always, proven right, by the fact that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to try to produce one. Also, it bears remembering that Esther did kind of die in the first one, so I guess this was the only real road that they could have taken.

Orphan: First Kill, is a let-down, but an expected one. Yes, the actress who plays Esther has aged considerably, as it's been 10 or more years since the first one.... I can't say that that bothered me as much as the whole direction, look, and feel of the movie.

I won't bore you with a long-winded description of what happened from beginning to end, I'll try to be concise.

My main problem with this ill-advised prequel is that it ruined the aura and presence of Esther with that stupid as all hell twist in the middle. It reduced her to a whimpering little girl that was beholden to the mother and her cliche little rich boy that "plays too rough" with his sister. All of the plot holes that others have pointed out aside, this is what irked me the most. Esther became almost like an anti-hero, when she is supposed to be an out-and-out villain that we, the audience, are supposed to fear. This, to me, undid the ethos of the first. I shouldn't be rooting for Esther to kill the mother and the son, it only served to subtract from what I just said. And why was Esther playing along with the mother and son? Why not just kill them? The part when she's trying to run away from them - as though she's a real little girl that's absquatulating from a legitimately abusive home - then is taken back to the house by police and willingly goes into her room as though nothing is about to happen is a scene of sheer unreality. Again, you know that they're about to kill you, or to try to, so why not kill them first? I don't get it. Right, maybe it's just so the climax can feel a little more nail-biting, as there needs to be a tug-of-war between the characters for that to happen. Nonetheless, I can't help but feel that the Esther from the first movie wouldn't allow this to happen.

Here's a rapid fire list of things that make this movie bad, not just compared to the first, but as a movie by itself:

Bad CGI.

Esther can somehow kill grown men by banging their heads against a wall, can appear in the back of cars somehow, shows up at a policeman's address without a vehicle. Esther can walk through a house engulfed by flames and smile all along the way.

The plot.

The family, especially mother and son.