The Orphanage

The Orphanage (La Orfanata) -

Dear American filmmakers who like to do horror,

your contributions to the genre recently have been lacking. It seems like many of you like to employ old tricks like sensory activation, i.e. you have everything quiet and then something jumps out with a bang. Some of you are busy ripping off Asian scare films that you don't quite understand, and thus leave with odd adaptations. A lot of you are busy doing torture porn, where you sit around and ask, "What's the last thing you'd ever want to do?" instead of thinking about plot or character. This is not good.

I'd like you to direct your attention to Spain, where The Orphanage was well-received a few years ago. Unlike your repetitive and annoying work, this film has feeling. It has a deep emotional story, of children who tease and children who are sick. It has a strong female lead who isn't just a simple good girl, but a complex and driven woman. It has some of the old tricks, but also a lot of the classic ones that rely on suspense and mood. You may want to pay attention to this and its producer, Guillermo Del Toro. It's better than anything anyone here has done in a long time.

Sincerely,

Leo