Orphan: First Kill is a 2022 crime drama horror film directed by William Brent Bell, starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, and Rossif Sutherland. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family.

The story okay but it could’ve been so much better, could’ve been so much more. I will say that the twist was unexpected, that the family isn’t as innocent as they first appear. Overall the plot was okay as an “origin” story but there were some pacing issues that could’ve been ironed out better. Unlike the first film the creep factor and suspense have been dialed back so the story lacks excitement, atleast until the last act. Esther’s escape from the asylum at the beginning of the movie felt rushed and quite contrived. After watching this, I thought to myself why did we need this film? Yes, it does explain some things about her character but ultimately not something groundbreaking.

I’m on the fence about the characters because a majority of them are as villainous as Esther. Esther is made to be this crazy force of nature but as the film progresses she isn’t as evil as first implied. In fact, they try to make her character quite sympathetic. The brother/son Gunnar was just a complete a**hole. Now the argument could be that he knows Esther isn’t his sister and that’s why he’s so gungho, but when he makes the comment about killing his sister I just threw my hands up. Then there are his friends who show up and they’re just trash. Tricia’s husband Allen is possibly the only victim in all of this. I did like Tricia and how it’s revealed that she’s practically manipulating the whole situation.

The story and characters are okay. (3 out of 5)

Thumbs up to the camera work and some really clever shots that do a good job of portraying Isabelle as a young kid (although she’s clearly older). I did like mansion, it was a really good setting. There’s no blood and no gore, though there are some violent kills he and there.

The music is okay, but I walked away not remembering any of it. Brett Detar has composed several of Bell’s films.

Visually a good-looking movie although the music isn’t all that memorable. (3 out of 5)

The performances are actually pretty good from both the main and supporting cast, particularly from Isabelle Fuhrman and Julia Stiles. Esther should’ve been recast as Fuhrman is obviously too old for the role. And it’s noticeable. She does a good job but she’s just too old. Maybe if they de-aged her with some CGI possibly but with what we see she makes the film feel more like a sequel that a prequel. The film includes performances by Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, Matthew Finlan, Samantha Walkes, Dave Brown, Lauren Cochrane, Gwendolyn Collins, Alec Carlos, and Jade Michael.

The writing is decent and William Brent Bell’s direction is what I expected. His directoral credits are mostly horror and I’ve see The Boy and recognize some of the similarities. He’s got a decent eye for suspense though I didn’t get much in this movie. The characterization and dialogue are decent though they could’ve been better.

The kills are pretty tame. In fact, they’re far and few between. There are a few kills at the beginning of the film, one in the middle, and few more at the end. And why is this film called Orphan: First Kill? She kills several people before the beginning of the movie. I have a lot of questions. Why is there a deal struck with Esther and Tricia only for Tricia to break it almost immediately? You would think Esther would get greedy but Tricia is the one that goes out of her way to escalate things. Why was Detective Donnan investigating Esther? There was no real buildup nor reason for him to do so. Why did Esther steal a car and not ditch it only to get caught?

Overall, performances are solid and the direction is decent. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Orphan: First Kill is one of the prequels that don’t feel necessary but it’s a time waster. The film could’ve benefited from better suspense and possibly a younger actress to portray Esther. But the performances are good and there’s was a nice twist. Orphan: First Kill gets 3 out of 5.