In "Orphan," Isabelle Fuhrman played a 9-year-old who needed to be convincing in order to play a 13-year-old
13 years later in this prequel that takes place two years earlier
Despite not being a classic, "Orphan" (2009), starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard as parents to a murderous adoptee
deserves a spot in the pantheon of bad-seed thrillers because of Farmiga's dedication to the role
one shocking twist that manages to pass for brilliant despite being utterly ridiculous
Now there comes "Orphan: Original Kill," a tardy prequel with a new director
(the clumsy William Brent Bell as opposed to Jaume Collet-Serra from the first film)
With the exception of an early escape set piece intended to imitate a fluid take
it lacks the terror and suavity of the original and seems like it was recorded on a low-cost video format.
However, it is more interesting than typical straight-to-streaming schlock because of the plot's extreme insanity and an odd casting choice
Casting comes first: How, after receiving critical acclaim for her performance as a crazed college rower in "The Novice
could Isabelle Fuhrman, who had to be believable as a youngster of age 9 13 years ago, recreate the part in her 20s?
The directors have transformed Fuhrman inside the bounds of permissibility using a combination of duplicates
her face and feet are almost never clearly visible in the same shot.
The actress's revival of her deadly persona—who occasionally veers into camp
playing the piano with bloody hands or downing vodka in an aircraft bathroom—might be the film's most realistic element
he story, which takes place in 2007, follows Leena as she sneaks from Estonia
If Farmiga's performance in "Orphan" seemed out of place, Stiles gets the spotlight in "Orphan: First Kill,"