The Orphanage gets a 7.5/10. It was good but not “this year’s pan’s labyrinth” as it is marketed on the back jacket of the DVD.
It does share some of the same dark content with Pan’s labyrinth but this one’s more of a ghost story then a fairy tale, except for at the end, when it weirdly takes on more of the ladder in a way that could certainly spark some controversy.
It’s spooky and some of the images are bound to make some squirm, but it definitely doesn’t have a haunting after taste in a sense that you’ll be afraid of the dark for a bit after watching it.
Also, for those who don’t know, the movie only has English subtitles. I must say though that you don’t miss too much trying to read what they say and watch at the same time!
Watch out for that twist ending... The one about what happened to Simon... I didn’t see it coming.