--- title: "The Orphanage: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-orphanage/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-orphanage" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Orphanage (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 13 reviews: 7 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Orphanage, with praise centring on Belén Rueda’s emotionally convincing performance and Bayona’s restrained handling of suspense. The favourable reviews value its creeping dread, its ability to make ordinary situations unsettling and the grief that gives its ghost story weight. The séance and night-vision sequence draw particular praise, while several critics find the treatment of childhood anxiety and maternal love moving rather than merely useful for generating scares. The spread is wide, however, and the reservations extend beyond unanswered questions or a slightly disappointing ending. The Hollywood Reporter finds the middle sluggish, though it shares the admiration for Rueda. IndieWire credits the subtle opening and steady direction but finds the film conventional and forgettable. Slant Magazine dissents more sharply, rejecting the emotional depth others find and criticising the use of children with Down syndrome to manufacture tension. ## Time Out — Nigel Floyd Rating 5/5. 18 March 2008. Floyd calls it an extraordinary and frightening ghost story. He singles out Belén Rueda’s performance as its beating heart and tortured soul. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-orphanage) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2008. Richards praises the film as a beautifully told, chilling ghost story. He singles out Belén Rueda’s emotionally intense performance and the night-vision sequence, while noting that the ending leaves some questions unanswered. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/orphanage-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Carina Chocano Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 December 2007. Chocano finds the film an unexpectedly poignant and effective ghost story. She praises Bayona’s ability to build dread from ordinary situations rather than conventional gore. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-orphanage28dec28-story.html) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film skillful and emotionally substantial beyond its shocks. It singles out the nerve-stretching séance and the film’s exploration of childhood anxiety and maternal love. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-orphanage) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 21 March 2008. The critic praises the film as a refreshing, emotionally involving horror classic that favors creeping suspense over schlock. They single out Bayona’s restrained direction and Belén Rueda’s nuanced performance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-orphanage-review/) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2008. Mackie finds the film classy, chilling and more suspenseful than outright horrifying. He particularly praises its fetid atmosphere and Belén Rueda’s sensitive, convincing performance. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/jul/25/horror.dvdreviews) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page identifies a review of the 2007 film, but its content is blocked. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-orphanage-2007) ## Screen Daily — Peter Brunette Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2007. The review’s verdict is not visible in the accessible page text. No specific praise or complaint can be identified from the available material. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-orphanage-review/4032886.article) ## Radio Times — Adam Smith Rating 3/5. The critic calls it an exceptionally effective and surprisingly moving ghost story. They praise how it seasons its horror with a pervasive sense of grief. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-57r8je/the-orphanage/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Richard James Havis Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2007. The critic finds the film promising at the beginning and end, but says its dragging middle keeps it from delivering on that promise. They single out Belén Rueda’s performance as a major strength that helps hold the film together. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/orphanage-158936/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 1.5/4. 25 August 2007. Gonzalez pans the film as a shallow, derivative horror pastiche lacking emotional and spiritual depth. He particularly criticizes its use of children with Down syndrome as a cheap way to provoke tension. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-orphanage/) ## IndieWire — Kristi Mitsuda Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2007. Mitsuda finds the film conventional and ultimately forgettable, despite Bayona’s steady direction. She praises the beguiling subtlety of its opening prelude, which the rest of the film abandons. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-scare-quotes-juan-antonio-bayonas-the-orphanage-73296/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2007. The critic finds the film assuredly told, brilliantly acted and effectively tense, despite a slight letdown in its ending. She praises Belén Rueda’s commanding performance and the film’s ability to create shocks without relying on cheap effects. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-orphanage-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-orphanage.md