El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

Written by: Sergio G. Sánchez

Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Andrés Gertrúdix, Edgar Vivar, Geraldine Chaplin

Laura brings her family to live in the orphanage where she grew up, with plans to turn it into a home for disabled children. Laura's return awakens the sinister presence in the old house which puts her sanity, and then her family, in danger.

I was very surprised by this movie. I was expecting your standard 'creepy old house' horror, but instead it was sad and beautiful, very interesting and quite original. Belén Rueda as Laura is the heart of the movie; she is in almost every scene and you feel everything that happens to Laura with deeper intensity due to her great performance. It boasts a beautiful location and genuine scares. I fully expected Geraldine Chaplin's Aurora to be quite jarring but she fit in seamlessly, actually heightening the chills. 

The song the children sing when playing their game was so familiar to me, and being unable to work out where I would know it from made the movie that much scarier.

Where to Watch: 

Prime Video

Apple TV

Watch the Trailer (external link)