El Orfanato

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

This debut film by Juan Antonio Bayona is the dark story of a mother looking to reopen the orphanage she called home during her childhood and create a place for disabled children alongside her family. Her adopted son, Simon, makes himself a new friend which she assumes to be imaginary as Simon is the only one who can see him. Tomas is a child of a similar age who wears a sack mask on his face to disguise his deformities. A series of events lead Simon to run away following an argument with Laura. Fernando and Laura go in search of their son, facing several obstacles along the way. One such instance includes a creepy introduction of social worker Benigna, who had been found snooping around their home. From here the backgrounds of the characters are unraveled and gives you an insight into their personality and past.

Awards and Recognition

El Orfanato was received very well by critics who found the lack of cliche tactics to scare the audience refreshing, as it focused instead on a acute feeling of suspense that kept you second guessing yourself and wondering what is around the corner. It also received seven Goya awards which complimented the performances of those involved.