El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

[Distinct muttering]

The clues leading to the dead bodies and to where her sons body lay for a start. Then there is the end sequence with her in the afterlife, then her husband seeing something in the closing scene...

[Guybrush]

The clues leading to the dead bodies and to where her sons body lay for a start. Then there is the end sequence with her in the afterlife, then her husband seeing something in the closing scene...

The clues leading to the dead bodies may have been her subconscious (in denial) self. And we don't know that her husband saw anything in the closing scene. It's suggested, sure, but not certain. And even if he did, perhaps its a continuation of the theme of those who have lost a close loved one seeing them once they are gone.

But hey, it's open to interpretation and it's this constant dual explanation and dual interpretation that makes the film so compelling. Each chilling supernatural event also has a prosaic - if sometimes equally chilling - explanation.

And who would have thought when Carlos made the pact with Laura that he would only take the St Anthony chain back when Simon was found that it would have been in such tragic circumstances? It's wonderful little touches like this that delight.

[Jamie John]

I saw this yesterday and though it was very, very good indeed. I always think proper creepy ghost or supernatural stories are much better than the horror slashers that just make you jump constantly but rely on cheap atmosphere and gore. This is absolutely terrifying throughout and there's only really one 'horror' moment in it that makes you jump, but which is still done extremely well:

the old lady hand grab bit--absolutely brilliant. My girlfriend and I both withdrew completely backwards into our seats in the cinema, audibly screaming/gasping, much like everyone else around us. I think it's the complete false sense of security that does it: you're pretty sure she's dead, it's in the daytime when nothing ever happens, and there's loads of other characters nearby which also lightens the atmosphere considerably...and then ARGH!

Utterly intense from start to finish with a great storyline, even if it is fairly predictable. I'd recommend seeing it at the cinema as well--unless you've got an epic surround system you won't really do the film's brilliant sound effects justice.

[Belbo]

Well I'm actually seeing this tonight at CineWorld in Cardiff.

I'm assuming the film will be subtitled and not dubbed, though I may phone beforehand to make sure.

[McFly]

Hoping i can get my g/f to go see this, she likes foreign films but she wants to go see The Bank Job tomorrow.

[Capwn]

Hoping i can get my g/f to go see this, she likes foreign films but she wants to go see The Bank Job tomorrow.

The bank job

Glad to read you're all liking it. Thought there would be at least a few 'Not as good as pan's!!' comments here. Comparing it to that is like comparing ICO and SOTC, both stories set in a similar dimension in how they share many of the same core qualities yet both their own thing. I wasn't that scared by it but then I watched it on the PC. Though one bit...

The tapping game scene near the end. It is horrible, one of those rare scary scenes in a movie where you instantly know exactly what is going to happen yet are still freaked out. The way the camera is used is simple yet perfect for that setup. Also upon seeing the first child she just continues with it. Brilliant scene.

[Distinct muttering]

Oh and can I just totally lower the tone for a minute and say the lead actress is a total MILF!

[auntyclimax]

Brilliant stuff, watched this today. I'd never heard of it, but the gf asked me randomly to download it. Best suggestion of the long weekend!

I agree that you could see it as her losing her marbles though, but we're not meant to believe this was the case.

Excellent film.

Now I'm off to wikipedia Del Toro or whatever its called...

[Distinct muttering]

You have never heard of Del Toro?

[auntyclimax]

Nope. I'm not overly interested in the people behind film tbh. I'm gonna check out Pans Labyrinth though

[Links]

Just watched it. Absolutely fantastic. The tension at times was unbearable and the ending was just perfect.

And I managed to persuade the missus to watch this over I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. I win.

[John0]

Utterly increadible film. I think I liked it more than Pan's Lab, although I didn't see that at the cinema.

It has also given me the strangest reaction I've ever had to a film. The sheer suspense made my eyes prick in quite a few scenes, but during the 1-2-3 knock scene, I began to cry; tears streaming down my face. I wasn't sad, or that scared (I didn't feel like shutting my eyes or anything), I'm pretty sure it was purely the tension and anticipation that did it. Really weird, never happened before.

Anyways, a masterful piece of film making, others have said it better than I can on here already, but the whole ghost story vs. psychological thriller this is balanced so well, the suspense is utterly unbearable, and the ending is as sublime as it is sad. 5 stars hands down.

[Belbo]

Incredib.e scenes. I have had quite a lot of whiskey since watching it tbut I can say that it was certainly as good as I expected, even if my expecrtations were very high going in based on the Pan's Labyrinth connection. Like most other people here, I thought that the

'koncok knock scene and the seance scene were two of probably the most brilliantly shot scenes I have ever seen in a horror movie. Truily superb. It was also very tragic when you realised what had actually happened to Simon in the end. That was the first film I watched at the cinema this year and hopefully it won't be the best. That would be a goodf year for cinema.

[zektbach]

Nope. I'm not overly interested in the people behind film tbh. I'm gonna check out Pans Labyrinth though

You're going to want to check out Cronos and The Devils Backbone as well then.

[auntyclimax]

Will do, cheers

[DirkCrisis]

Before I go to seee this can someone confirm is it's just another

metaphor for the Spanish Civil War again?

In all honesty, I'm not sure if I could be arsed with that again.

Thanks

[fatoy.japa]

Nope, it's set today. Well, not literally but you get the idea.

I'll be happy to concur with everything expressed in this thread up until this point as well; terrifying, unbearably tense, brilliantly shot, wonderfully acted and genuinely tragic. I don't think the

psychological vs. supernatural discussion is something that holds up to much scrutiny, though. The two explanations are so intertwined that you're unlikely to ever arrive at a conclusion that doesn't diminish one of them. My girlfriend seemed quite convinced that everything was being produced by Laura's in her grief, and subsequently went to great lengths to explain how Thomas' first appearance (where she's pushed into the bathtub) was Simon appearing in the garb he'd found in the cellar rather than anything else.

Honestly, I'm happier leaving it all a bit ambiguous.

[Capwn]

and subsequently went to great lengths to explain how Thomas' first appearance (where she's pushed into the bathtub) was Simon appearing in the garb he'd found in the cellar rather than anything else.

I really noticed on my second watch that in that scene he is making really disturbing sounds. Not sure what that is all about.

Also, someone said they were making an American version of this? I find that hard to believe somehow, Pan's isn't being remade is it so I can't see this one would.

[Silent Runner]

I really noticed on my second watch that in that scene he is making really disturbing sounds. Not sure what that is all about.

To be fair to the little guy he had a bag on his head.

My take is that it was Simon in Thomas’ gear.

[Distinct muttering]

To be fair to the little guy he had a bag on his head.

My take is that it was Simon in Thomas’ gear.

Thats my take on it too. He was making weird noises though. He was obviously trying to scare his mother though so the explanation there would be that he was just hamming it up.

I think it was Simon in the outfit at that bit as she chased him and he went into the cupboard as shown in the flashback. I still think the other ghosts were laying clues to help her unlock the mystery of what happened to them and then what happened to Simon. I dont see how her grief could of made her imagine something which revealed two things she did not know about.

[squirtle]

Hmmm... I thought it was disappointing, to be honest. Not in the least bit scary, and quite obvious as to what had happened. It's not a bad film, it's just a bit of a weak film. The trailers are all making this out to be a right frightfest but it's nothing of the sort. It's well acted and shot, but I didn't think it was that interesting as a film and seemed to be confused as to whether it was

supernatural goings on or just a series of unfortunate tragic accidents.

So yes, sadly, not as good, for me, as some people are making it out to be.

[squirtle]

Dp.

[Old Dear's Menu]

What Squirtle said... By no means a bad film, but save a few decent scares and a nice sense of atmosphere, I wasn't all that impressed. Being a huge GDT fan, and of Spanish horror in general, maybe I expected too much. A more focused remake might actually be worth checking out...

Not a patch on The Others then (which this lifts liberally from, I might add) or any of Del Toro's Spanish language efforts.

6/10

[Pob]

I usually avoid horror films at the cinema because I just can't take the tension (it's the threat of loud noises or something sick happening that gets me), but I made a special effort for this one, and I'm well glad I did. Hellishly tense, but in the best way.

Towards the end, I decided all the supernatural stuff was in her head. Is it possible that her son laid the treasure hunt clues to try to lead his mother to the secret room? She discovered the children's remains by accident. The door knob clue had nothing to do with the shed where the bodies were hidden, it was the knob for the door under the stairs. So there was nothing supernatural going on there, just a coincidence.

I hadn't made the connection with the knocking being her trapped son. That really is grim. The realisation of finding out what's happened to him is properly . I felt really bad when it hit me.

[Distinct muttering]

Too much other stuff going on

How did the kid know that it was the caves were the kid went missing all those years ago?

Was the exorcist just full of shit as well?

The dead bodies was a hell of a coincidence.

I will need to watch again to make my mind about the clues now, they seemed fairly elaborate at the time.

Im pretty sure the end scene with her in the afterlife and him seeing something is telling us it was supernatural.

[Pob]

How did the kid know that it was the caves were the kid went missing all those years ago?

He didn't. I think the mother just made that connection herself. He was just being his usual self and finding invisible friends.

Was the exorcist just full of shit as well?

Yeah. That's when I thought it was probably all part of her psychosis. No-one actually sees anything during the exorcism, it's just the usual weird stuff, with some old woman going "oooh, I can hear voices, I can see them".

The dead bodies was a hell of a coincidence.

I don't think so - she was searching the entire grounds for the place to use the door knob. She also may have searched that shed extra carefully since finding the old woman in there, making a subconcious connection.

Im pretty sure the end scene with her in the afterlife and him seeing something is telling us it was supernatural.

Well, all the stuff with her and the children is just her slipping into death. When the father comes back and finds the lucky charm thing, he doesn't see anything. It's just implied that the doors move or something for those who want to see something ghostly.

Of course, it could easily be watched as a ghost story. The brilliant thing is that there is nothing conclusive either way. But I love the fact that there seems to be a rational explanation for everything, however unlikely.

One thing I don't get - wasn't all the knocking and banging from ....fuck I just got an email chime from my phone and my heart leapt, I'm still pretty shaken by the bloody film ....anyway, all the banging and crashing, wasn't that after the 'six months later' lapse? Surely he'd be dead by then? Or was there some food and water down there?

[Capwn]

Talking with a workmate about this today, he was going on about how he really liked the 'feel good' ending , I thought it was sad and tragic but thinking about how it all ends it sort of is a feel good ending in the way she is finally put out of her misery.

[Guybrush]

Talking with a workmate about this today, he was going on about how he really liked the 'feel good' ending , I thought it was sad and tragic but thinking about how it all ends it sort of is a feel good ending in the way she is finally put out of her misery.

POTENTIAL PANS LABYRINTH SPOILERS

As contradictory as it sounds, I saw it as an uplifting ending too. And it's never been more welcome! I don't think I could have handled an uneasy/unsettling ending after the wrenching tension of the rest of the film.

Incidentally, the ending I thought had parallels with Pan's Labyrinth in that regard.

[noizu]

I think going to see a good creepy horror in a packed cinema is my favourite kind of cinema experience - it's the reactions of the crowd as the tensions ratchet up that really add to the atmosphere. There were so many whimpers and yelps during the knocking game scene when I saw this last night, and then the little cathartic bursts of laughter after big scares... fantastic. Haven't seen an audience so well played by a film since The Others! Glad that the Orphanage didn't feel too familiar after it settled into its own groove - yeah it uses all the old creaky-house scary-child tricks but it all leads up to a really satisfying ending. Bleak, though. Yikes.

Some stunningly bad parenting in there as well!

Making your disfigured kid wear a freaky scarecrow mask to make him less scary to other kids?? Welcoming the mentally handicapped to your children's home by dressing everyone up in equally horrible Wicker-man animal faces? Brilliant!

[Distinct muttering]

He didn't. I think the mother just made that connection herself. He was just being his usual self and finding invisible friends.

Come on, he first discovered this random new imaginary mate who he decided to name after the clothes he found in the secret house, and it just so happened to turn out that when he started "seeing" him it was at the place of his death?!

Yeah. That's when I thought it was probably all part of her psychosis. No-one actually sees anything during the exorcism, it's just the usual weird stuff, with some old woman going "oooh, I can hear voices, I can see them".

I think the fact that what the old women was seeing tied in with the story as it unfolded and the fact they didnt want any money "yet", gives them some credibility. Again I will need to see it again to see if they might of known stuyff about the children being killed their before they got the exorcist in.

I don't think so - she was searching the entire grounds for the place to use the door knob. She also may have searched that shed extra carefully since finding the old woman in there, making a subconcious connection.

I will give you that one.

Well, all the stuff with her and the children is just her slipping into death. When the father comes back and finds the lucky charm thing, he doesn't see anything. It's just implied that the doors move or something for those who want to see something ghostly.

I guess, as mentioned thats the same as Pans Labyrinth that the after life scene could just be the dying thoughts of the person, especially as in this instance it was via sleeping pills.