#26 - The Orphanage (2007)


When Laura and her family move into their new home, an old orphanage where she was raised, their son Simón gains some new invisible friends who may or may not be imaginary.  There is considerably more to the plot, but the mystery at the center of this film is really great, so I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it.  This is a fantastic film that uses a lot of the typical tropes of the genre (an old house, creepy kids, psychic investigators, etc) to tell a wholly original story that feels fresh and exciting.

This is one of my favorite modern gothic ghost stories.  It is "presented" by Guillermo del Toro, which doesn't mean much other than that the studio was using his name to try to capitalize on the success of Pan's Labyrinth.  Still, it is hard to avoid comparisons to The Devil's Backbone, both being Spanish-language ghost stories set in orphanages.  This one isn't quite as good as del Toro's film, but I'd still rank it as one of the best horror movies of the 2000's.  Very highly recommended.

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