El orfanato (2007)

Rating:  

This movie is, quite possibly, my new favorite dramatic thriller. You will find this in the Horror section of most Video stores, but I feel that classification is unwarranted. There is nothing truly ‘horror’ about this movie, in the classic sense – true, there are things that go ‘bump’ in the night, and an occasional apparition, but they only serve to progress the point of this movie.. which is The Mystery.

This movie tells the story of a woman who, with her husband and child, opens a home for children with special needs. She bought the orphanage where she spent her childhood, and found it fitting she repay her treasured memories with giving back to the same community. Her son first starts talking about new imaginary friends, and then goes missing, and that’s when things get crazy.

The mystery will take the mother through her own past, as well as the past of the house and it’s occupants, before finally leading her to an answer that left me in tears.

As far as the “horror” goes, while you could argue themes in the movie (such as the idea of your child going missing) to be horrifying, there were only parts that were cat-jumping-out-from-behind-the-door startling… that’s not “horror,” in my opinion.

Though some of my friends found the ending of the movie to be a little cheesy, I felt it fit with the overall story arc.

This one goes on my “Must See” list.