Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Another wonderful movie from Guillermo Del Toro. Wonderfully eerie and mysterious throughout with subtle music, and a great cast. Oh wow, what a shocking twist ending!

J.A. Bayona and Guillermo del Toro's The Orphanage is a masterfully crafted piece of Spanish horror that transcends high above the relatively low bar set for the genre. While consistently suspenseful and dark, the story is told in a oddly beautiful way. This isn't the average horror film where the fear is generated from gory images or cheap scares, but rather it's atmosphere and emotional tension and eventual deterioration of our main character. The Orphanage is bold and takes many risks, most of which pay off, but what impressed me the most was the elegance and maturity showcased by Bayona in his debut feature. Guillermo del Toro's influence on the film is immediately noticeable as every aspect within the film is executed with a sense of macabre beauty, from the breathtaking shots to the excellently detailed setting.The cast is fairly limited and the story strongly hinges on our emotional connection to our main character played by Belén Rueda. She was simply excellent as we witness her character slowly starts to lose her grip on everything she believes. She's a strong, determined female character who emits a confidence that is reflected not only in herself, but the entire film as a whole. The Orphanage is a film for the patient and at times it seems more of a film for movie-lovers rather than actual horror fans. The atmosphere and tone drive the story forward, and while a few scares occur now and then, it's the unwavering sense of dread that makes the experience relentlessly suspenseful at times. And once we begin to uncover the truth behind the film's many mysteries, these moments of suspense intensify. While there are a few scenes of far-fetched violence that the director seems to indulge in, he never gets lost in it. The main thing that sets The Orphanage apart from most other horror movies is the amount of heart the film features. The story is hauntingly sad, but once we begin to solve the film's mysteries, it only becomes even more heartbreaking. The use of child ghosts may seem eye-rolling at first, but the idea is never exploited and even adds to the emotional impact. The ending is really hit-or-miss for most people but I found it to be the perfect way to wrap up such a beautiful and emotional tale of love and loss. It may not be endlessly re-watchable as the film does drag on at times, but if you can make it past some slow stretches, the payoff more than makes up for these moments. The Orphanage is a smart, elegant and sophisticated horror film. The cinematic and acting prowess from the cast and producers in unquestionable and in turn works to make the viewing experience all the more rich. While it can't be said for many of the genre, The Orphanage is a horror film built completely off the emotions of it's story, character's and the feelings it evokes from the audience. Where most horror films aim to make you faint, The Orphanage aims to make you cry.

THE ORPHANAGE is an excellent little modern-day ghost story and another example of Spanish genre cinema outclassing foreign competition. This flick has more imagination than a dozen US torture porn offerings or half a dozen Japanese female ghost jaunts. Although it clearly owes much to THE INNOCENTS and THE OTHERS, it stands in its own right as an effective ghost-story-cum-mystery as a couple move into an abandoned orphanage with their adopted son and soon find themselves menaced by sinister forces. The plot sounds familiar, but THE ORPHANAGE succeeds thanks to subtlety, originality, and the refusal to pander to the audience.Those looking for CGI effects, action, or gore effects should go elsewhere because this film has none of them. There are a few jump shocks but even these are limited in favour of creepy atmosphere – this is without doubt a mood piece. It's not the most horrifying film I've seen and I wouldn't even class it as a 'horror' film per se – okay, yes, it is a ghost story but not a frightening one. Instead it's moving, poignant, nostalgic, and come the twist ending I don't mind admitting that I was crying my eyes out at the mixture of happiness and sadness it brought.The film has an excellent location – a creepy old coastal orphanage, complete with secret rooms and passages – that would have been effective in the hands of an amateur, let alone the intelligent, mature director Juan Antonio Bayona. Guillermo del Toro was kind enough to put his name to it as producer to secure a wider audience and it was a good choice, as many people have discovered just how great a movie this is. Special mention goes to the entire cast for their performances, with obvious mention to Belen Rueda who has to act in a very difficult central role and comes away completely wonderful because of it.

Excellent movie! Amazing. I was really moved, touched, crying. This can easily be included in my best 10 movies of all time. No doubts. Interestingly that I was searching for a horror movie through various top horror movies reviews and found this to be watchable because it was made by makers of Labirinto del Fauno, which is another one great movie though a little bit different. I was expecting less satisfaction than from Pan's Labirynth because rarely someone creates two great movies in a row, but this was not the case. Everything is well done, well planed, well combined - acting, characters, music, scenes, visualizations. I would not say it's a horror movie, because it's more about dark sides of our life and an endless love.. a must see! You will like it to, if the world of your inner feelings can grab it.