by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What is more maligned in the horror genre than a horror sequel? A horror movie prequel, that’s what. It is bad enough when a franchise offers up the same old formula from the first film, but with different window dressing. But what is worse is doing the same thing… except before. On top of that is when they wrap it up in a completely contrived way to conveniently lead into the original film. All the same scares… all the same narrative beats. It is quite lazy.
Does Paramount+ deliver a film in this lazy vein with Orphan: First Kill? To be honest, I haven’t seen the first film, but I knew the twist (what seems to be the only memorable aspect of the original film). The little girl is an adult! So shocking. Unfortunately, this new film from director William Brent Bell (of The Boy fame) is a miss. You do have to give this film one thing though… the narrative has one big decent twist. This easily could have been exactly like the first film, but they shake things up.
But what comes out of this twist? One, they are not able to continue the momentum, as they fall back into convention. Two, the film tries to make you sympathize with Esther. This character is so terrible and unredeemable. But what does the film try to do? Make you feel sorry for a murderous con woman. On top of that, they find a way to deliver characters who are even more despicable and hated. Outside of one family member, you have no reasonably good person to even root for. You are left with a bunch of horrible monsters, leaving no chance for a satisfying ending. But we also know where the ending must arrive at the end of the original, which is the issue with the horror prequel.
How about David Coggeshall screenplay? There is not much to take away from this script. The messaging is muddled and problematic. There are so many unlikeable characters that you sit wondering why you are even watching it. The beginning and ending feel so forced to make sure this film goes right into the ending of the original film. Besides one 10-minute sequence in the middle of the film, every narrative beat delivers exactly how you expect it to. There is also a distinct lack of logic. For this premise to work, you need to buy into the fact that this adult woman looks like a child (Isabelle Fuhrman is a grown woman now and looks NOTHING like a child). The film makes no sense.
How about Bell’s direction? There is no real sense of urgency. The climax just sort of arrives and you realize that it must be the end because of how much it escalates out of nowhere. The visuals are drab and ugly. There is no real atmosphere at all and no sense of tension. The film is also not scary… AT ALL. Not once did it feel like it could get a jump out of you. This film is the equivalent of a cold shower.
Do the actors deliver anything of consequence? Fuhrman does her best to return this role that made her a child star. She doesn’t get a whole lot to work with this time around. Julia Stiles’ role is a little meatier than you might expect, and she delivers a committed performance. The rest of the cast are attempting to bring flat characters to life, and their success has quite the range.
Is this horror prequel different from the rest? Orphan: First Kill shines for one singular scene. Outside of that, it is a lazy, boring, pedestrian film that just does not deliver any kind of excitement or spark. For a “horror” prequel, the most horrifying thing is how atrocious the final set piece of the climax is. The actors look like they are floating in front of a green screen, and what is projected on it are cheap elements. When the credits roll on this one, you might be wondering why you spent the time watching this Paramount+ original film. If you are a diehard horror fan, you might give this one a try, even if it will probably leave you unsatisfied.
Score: 3/10
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