Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 6, 2022

In the world of cinema's most famous orphans, two stand out. On one side is the happy-go-luck, always singing, and sometimes sassy Annie (and all of her various remakes and adaptations). On the other is the murderous Esther who made her screen debut in the uneven 2009 Horror film aptly and succinctly titled Orphan. Here, with Orphan: First Kill, is the character's backstory. This film serves as a prequel to the original, made more than a dozen years later which is plenty of time for audiences to forget all about the character, which in the time since has been buried by the avalanche of other weird and creepy midsize Horror films. But apparently the studio spreadsheets said that this was the right time for an Orphan sequel. Were the number crunchers right, and can this first look make for a successful second outing for Horror's most famous orphan?

Official synopsis: Esther's terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous "child" at any cost.

As far as the plodding and plotting, slow-burn and character-focused Horror genre goes, Orphan: First Kill isn't an entirely bad entry. The film has some style and mood to it, a decent atmosphere, and a few good ideas, even if the bulk of the movie plows through relatively trite material. At best, the film is probably best described as "serviceable." Everything is in good working order: the film is photographically stylish without falling into pretentiousness. It's atmospheric without relying too heavily on its atmosphere to build tension and scares. The lead character is sufficiently creepy but at the same time personable and gentle when the situation demands she switch to a more serene state. The revelations are more or less legit and their impact on the story is meaty rather than flat. Characters are suitably well defined, and when the story shifts gears, the characters believably shift with it. The pacing is solid and the runtime is just right, unlike the original film which ran a good 20 minutes too long.

On the other hand, the film can be described as bland and stale at its worst. There are no major new ideas here. It pushes through the usual and more or less predictable permutations, including a lightning quick and violent opening act, a longer middle stretch designed to build character and atmosphere, and the blood-soaked and fiery finale. The violence is not creative, the setting is not novel, and the story leaves no lasting impact. Fortunately, the "serviceable" side carries the film for much of its runtime. Audiences attuned to this genre should be more or less pleased with how Director William Brent Bell, who is no stranger to this genre (Brahms: The Boy II), has arranged things, stylistically and narratively alike, doing the best he can with a midlevel script and a modest budget that builds the film a bit beyond what should be its inherent limitations.

The film most benefits from the presence of Isabelle Fuhrman, who reprises her role from the original film. She pulls off the look and feel of the character, now a dozen or so years removed from the original, quite well. The film utilizes various forms of in-camera cinematic trickery to sell the character's look and stature to the point that the integration is perfectly seamless; the audience will never be left believing that Fuhrman isn't actually the size depicted in the film. She gives an appropriately menacing, but also even-keeled, performance, often allowing internal characteristics to define outward actions. The supporting cast is fine but can achieve little beyond going through the motions that this genre demands.

Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount brings Orphan: First Kill to Blu-ray with a serviceable 1080p transfer. This is not the most attractive film on the market. The opening segment has something of a dreamy quality inside the orphanage. It's a little soft and hazy, a characteristic which carries through much of the film. Details lack the razor-sharpness of other modern productions, but there is certainly a good deal of clarity refinement and visibility at 1080p. Basic skin, clothing, and environmental textures satisfy within the film's somewhat pervasively airy look. Color output is likewise not extreme, but the core foundation pleases. There's enough pop and depth to natural locales, clothes, and furnishings to deliver a modestly hearty look, but the film favors a darker posture that does not accentuate bold tones. Black levels are fair, whites are fine, and skin tones look OK. Viewers will note some noise permeating darker scenes, most obviously evident in the opening minutes when the facility goes on lockdown. However, some source noise is often visible even in more forgiving light. There are no other major source or encode problems to report.

Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack lacks the dynamic intensity and verse one might expect of an atmospheric Horror film. The track offers a good foundational listen, albeit one with a fairly straightforward front-side posture. Surrounds carry some atmosphere and music, but the track is most comfortable operating out of the front three channels. Overall clarity is good. Muscal output never hits hard, never offers big and sweeping elements, but the foundational content presents with solid clarity and placement. Some of the scares and action sound effects offer a bit more charge, but again not with the sort of house-shaking, subwoofer-rattling boom one might expect from a genre film. Still, there is enough raw muscle to get by. Dialogue drives the film, and it presents without flaw from a natural front-center location.

Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Orphan: First Kill contains no supplemental content. The static and silent main menu screen only offers options for "Play," "Settings," and "Scenes." No DVD copy is included, but Paramount has bundled in a digital copy code. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Orphan: First Kill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Orphan: First Kill smartly takes the prequel route and does some good things with the character and story, even if they're jammed into a predictable, and at times borderline lazy, framework. The story isn't going to redefine the genre, but with well-rounded characters, solid performances, a few decent story twists, and good technical bits, the film works far better than it probably should. There's room here for more of the Orphan universe should the filmmakers and studios find a decent story to tell. Paramount's Blu-ray is disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, featureless. Video and audio are decent but not at all spectacular, but many of the limitations seem inherent to the source and prescribed style. Worth a look.