Rent Orphan: First Kill (2022)

Orphan: First Kill (aka Esther) review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

Add Orphan: First Kill to the long list of horror franchises that vastly improved with a sequel, belonging in the same league as Annabelle and Ouija. It’s a prequel that manages to find more to do than just explain everything that happened in the first film. Instead of just being a lukewarm origin picture, First Kill has enough genuine thrills and manages to become a twisty thriller just bold enough to work.

Prior to the events of the first film, we meet Leena Klammer (Isabelle Fuhrman) in a mental institution in Estonia. Despite being 31, Leena has a condition that makes her appear younger. She uses this unorthodox look to easily deceive others enticed by her childish personality and charm. The doctors refer to her as dangerous and they’re proven right when Leena makes her violent escape from the institution, relying on the inept guards and vicious inmates to stroll right out of the building, murdering her way into a new life.

She sets her sights on causing chaos in a family by posing as their missing daughter, Esther. Allen (Rossif Sutherland) and Tricia Albright (Julia Stiles) of Connecticut are overwhelmed with joy to have found their missing child, though their teenage son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan) could take or leave her. Leena tries to integrate into family life by doing her best to recall her past. Of course, she’ll fumble a bit and the family psychiatrist suspects something is off with this woman posing as a girl.

Eventually, Leena’s secret is discovered but in one of the most surprising developments. Tricia makes this discovery and only agrees to keep playing along to cover up an even darker secret she has. By the second half of the film, there’s less psychological horror at play and more of a tense who-will-shoot-first con job. This twist almost completely changes the picture into a battle between two secretive women who are more than willing to go down violent paths.

There’s a decent amount of fun that such a film has with this premise. I loved how the father is known for his paintings that change their look in the dark, leading to a great reveal of sinister intent when the lights change. The house that the Albrights occupy is spacious and towering, making it the perfect location for a fiery climax. Credit needs to be given to both Fuhrman and Stiles who eat their roles up with spoons. There’s just something so wildly pleasing about watching Fuhrmann dash off in her pigtails, steal a car, crank the radio, and smoke a cigarette as she puts the next part of her plan into action. She’s an evil character but, wow, she enjoys this deceptive lifestyle and makes her skills of playing people look so badass.

I also can’t help but feel that a film like this could use a more knowing nature. For example, it’s a bit of a stretch to believe that Leena, even with her childish look, could pass as being young to be a preteen or teenager. This is rarely called out and the most we get is Gunnar and his friends' comment on how Leena looks like Lizzy Borden. Not a bad joke but more of a passing banter than a mindset worth exploring.

First Kill is most enjoyable for the premise and acting as all the kills and the atmosphere feels decent at best. Most of the film is drowned in muted colors and it feels like a film this surprising should have some bolder contrast than just a handful of flashy shots. That being said, this was a far more enjoyable experience than the first Orphan movie, finding a bit more excitement in a story that could’ve easily fallen apart if it had rested on its laurels.