After tragic death of his parents-the woman accidentally shots her husband and then herself-ten year old David is left in the care of Aunt Marta.His neurotic and soul-denying guardian lives a large estate mansion.She is a cruel woman.All the things David loved are gone:his hen,his dog and his relationships with African friend Akin and a servant woman Mary.David hates his Aunt and tries to destroy her.His sanity slowly deteriorates and he becomes a psychotic killer...Very sad and unusual horror film which offers plenty of psychological chills.The acting is uneven and there are only two murder scenes,so "The Orphan" is still neglected by horror fans.According to Stephen Thrower's "Nightmare USA" John Ballard's final cut was 110 minutes-the current version is missing around thirty minutes from the original cut.Fans of Bergman's "Persona" or "Fanny and Alexander" should give "The Orphan" a chance.8 orphans out of 10.
