Review: ‘Orphan: First Kill’ is shocking and twisted prequel.

Leena, a murderous sociopath who looks like a child due to a medical condition, escapes from an Estonian psychiatric facility. Leena impersonates the missing daughter of a wealthy family but becomes pitted against a determined mother.


Performances sell this film. Matthew Finlan at Gunnar with a slimy rich kid flair that makes him supremely punchable. Rossif Sutherland‘s genuine vulnerability in grounds the chaos. With the audience’s knowledge, his performance is one of the most important in the film. Julia Stiles is mind-blowing as Tricia. I’ll only reveal that the rollercoaster of this role is delicious, and I did not see it coming.

Isabelle Fuhrman plays the audience like a fiddle in what might seem like a tricky undertaking years later. The final reveal in Orphan was a game-changing moment that sticks in genre fans’ minds. For Fuhrman to nail this performance, knowing the audience is in on the secret this time speaks volumes about her skills. The use of body doubles ensured that she remained in the role. Had she been recast, we might have had a very different conversation about this franchise.

The use of mirrors is a noticeable and effective trope. Growing up in Connecticut, I can attest that the costume department gets an A+ for their work. Now, we need to discuss the screenplay. A total WTF twist keeps Orphan: First Kill fresh and engaging. The terror tables overturn with an unexpected villainous turn from multiple characters in the film. The unpredictability of this prequel manages to be creepy and cringe all at once. There’s a deliberate white privilege that is chef’s kiss. I wasn’t sure whom to root for. It was a ping-pong match of vile behavior. That made me all the more invested in the madness. When I tell you that I reveled in a particular kill, you’d be hard-pressed to disagree upon viewing. Orphan: First Kill is a wild ride genre fans will happily stay on if only to see how this chapter plays out.


Paramount Pictures will release the horror/thriller film ORPHAN: FIRST KILL in Theaters, on Digital, and streaming on Paramount+ on August 19, 2022. The film is the highly anticipated prequel to the 2009 horror classic film ORPHAN.

ORPHAN: FIRST KILL stars Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Rossif Sutherland (Possessor) and Golden Globe Nominee Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You). The film was written by David Coggeshall (Prey) and directed by William Brent Bell (The Boy).


Review: ‘Guest Of Honour’

Veronica wants to remain in jail for a sexual assault she knows she’s been wrongfully indicted for. She and her father, Jim, find themselves acting out of the bounds of good behavior as the past haunts them.

Ethics and emotion and two versions of one memory; a complex father/daughter relationship is told through time jumps.  The new film by Academy Award-Nominated director & writer Atom Egoyan, The Guest of Honour is about questionable decisions and power dynamics. It is complicated in the most engrossing way. David Thewlis and Laysla De Oliveira make a compelling pair. Their chemistry has the perfect balance of volatility and authenticity. Each is afforded the opportunity to play contrasting traits of their characters. Luke Wilson plays a priest, but also a mediator and confession soundboard. He is a key player in the larger scope of the narrative.

Memories can be as delicate as the feelings that come with them. This script is driven by guilt and supposition. While, oftentimes, time jumps can muddle a story, but here the editing becomes another character driving the beats and mystery forward. The Guest of Honour is a nuanced and intriguing film about the intricacies of family, reclaiming power, and learning to let go.

David Thewlis (Naked), Laysla De Oliveira,
Rossif Sutherland & Luke Wilson
OFFICIAL SELECTION:
Venice International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
BFI London Film Festival