Orphan: First Kill (2022) Murders, Lies & Deceit -

Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Rossif Sutherland and Julia Stiles

Synopsis: SHE WILL KILL TO BE PART OF A FAMILY. Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit “Orphan.” Esther’s (Isabelle Fuhrman, Orphan) secret may be out but this time around there’s more to this psychotic young girl than meets the eye. Escaping from the psychiatric facility that housed her, Esther hides in plain sight by assuming the identity of a missing American child whose mother (Julia Stiles, Dexter) is matriarch to one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Will Esther’s thirst for blood destroy the strong family ties or will she discover that even a mother will cross the line to protect her family?

Esther’s terrifying saga continues

Isabelle Furhman reprises her role as the cunning Esther, (or her real name Leena Klammer) the child-like killer who is in fact a fully grown adult. People will be curious how the sequel pans out as fans of the original will know Esther met her demise at the end of the 2009 movie. The power of movies and some great writing has us revisit Esther before the events of the first movie, prequel-time!

In comparison to the first movie, Orphan: First Kill has a high body count. Since nearly every kill is motivated by survival, the writers somehow manage to make us root for Esther. Through her stay at the Saarne Institute in Estonia, Esther is being groomed by a predatory security guard with gifts. Though we know she is the one pulling the strings and plotting her escape. Esther isn’t completely innocent, some of the killings she commits are in her desperate bid to survive and not get discovered.

As we learn about Esther’s backstory, we get a better understanding of the hardships she endured. We are given an insight into Esther’s softer side after she returns to her ‘home’. Throughout the movie, Esther pretends to be the daughter of a wealthy family whose daughter had gone missing years earlier. Esther shows her talent at painting and drawing while she is at the house, along with caring for a mouse in her room.

Family round-up

Julia Stiles plays Tricia Albright, a woman who will do whatever it takes to protect her family. Does she have what it takes to match the wits of Esther? Rossif Sutherland plays Allen Albright, a keen artist whose passion and zest for life have been sapped since his daughter went missing.Now she’s ‘back’ his passion for life and art has rekindled. Gunnar, the eldest son, is played to smarming perfection by Matthew Finlan. When Gunnar’s ‘sister’ reappears, he doesn’t react with happiness and acts cold towards her. His character is hard to root for. I applaud Finlan for delivering an excellent performance and bringing to life a character we love to hate!

The writing of the first movie was amazing, the tension throughout the script had audiences screaming at the T.V; how can this be replicated, you ask. Easy answer, it’s not. Rather than try and fool the audience or tread the same waters, the writers have opted to rewrite Esther and flesh the character out. They can’t do the big reveal twice, right? Well, they do the reveal but it’s not as hard hitting as the curveball thrown that will throw audiences! Writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring 2&3) is a formidable force when it comes to delivering an exciting story!

The finale is where the tension ramps up. The final act of the movie is a nail-biting game of cat and mouse that comes to a head in an explosive blaze of glory. The payout is worth the wait.

Esther is back!

Orphan: First Kill is the prequel you never knew you needed! A fast-paced movie with an hour and a half runtime doesn’t leave much room for boredom. Slick writing and superb performances guarantee that Orphan First Kill will become a cult favourite!

Hope that First Kill is not the last as it would be awesome to see Esther psychologically torment another family in the future.

Signature Entertainment presents Orphan: First Kill exclusively in Cinemas from 19th August