The Orphanage (2007)

In 2007 Guillermo Del Toro co-produced the movie “The Orphanage”, a film that continues the theme of children dealing with death or about the death of a child. This is a difficult movie to recommend because I found the first half slowly paced and not very interesting but I admit that the second half picks up and the story wraps up with an acceptable twist.

The film begins with Laura running around and playing with her fellow orphans. She is adopted and as next seen as an adult moving into the house that was once the orphanage. Laura and her husband plan to take care of 5 to 6 special needs children along with their own adopted son, Simon. Simon has imaginary friends, so his parents don’t find it odd when he meets a new “friend” names Thomas. One day, an agent from child services comes to the house with files about Simon. Laura sends the agent on her way when she starts talking about how Simon was adopted and how she can offer special treatments for his HIV; Laura later finds out that the there is no such woman working for the child services department.  Laura is shocked when Simon reveals the secret that he was adopted and explains that Thomas told him.

Simon soon goes missing after a fight with Laura about Thomas. Months go by and the police are unable to find any clues to where he might be. One day Laura and her husband see the woman who was pretending to be a child services agent but before they can talk to her, she is killed by a truck. The police go to her home and find old pictures and 8mm films. They discover and tell Laura that the old woman used to work at the orphanage. Laura doesn’t remember her or her son, a disfigured boy named Thomas. After more time passes, Laura grows desperate and seeks the help of a medium. This person explores the house and finds that it is haunted by the ghosts of five children who are begging for help because they have been poisoned. While everyone is willing and wanting to move on, Laura refuses and digs deeper into the mystery, following clues and finding more dark secrets.

Favorite moment – the ending.