History Film / Orphan

** John ''still'' refuses to believe Kate after Danny's treehouse mysteriously burns down, putting him in the hospital, where Esther just ''happened'' to be near it at the time.

** John sees Esther has thrashed her room and finds out the hidden messages on her paintings. Then the lights shut down. Expecting him to grab Max and get the hell out of the house? Nope, of course he has to stand there flailing a flashlight like an idiot to give Esther enough time to [[spoiler:stab him to death]].

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: The entire family except Danny, but special mention goes to [[TooDumbToLive John]]. Though to be fair Max is 5 years old and doesn't know anything better and Kate does realize over time that there's something wrong with Esther leaving the true Horrible Judge of Character to John who only realizes too late that Kate is right and that there's something wrong with Esther but too little too late.

** Sure, the first few results of Esther's psychopathy ''could'' be chalked up to coincidence. But John ''still'' refuses to believe Kate after Danny's treehouse mysteriously burns down, putting him in the hospital. When Esther just HAPPENED to be near it at the time. Must've been spontaneous combustion, right?

* SlasherMovie: The film is about an EnfanteTerrible who is really a [[spoiler:serial killer]] who kills anyone that gets in her way.

* SoundtrackDissonance: A cheery rendition of the song Esther sings "The Glory of Love" plays over a disturbing, UV paint-splattered credits reel.

* ChekhovsGun: Several. The revolver, Max's drawings of Esther's [[spoiler:murders]], Esther's ribbons on her neck and wrists, the treehouse lock, the second bottle of wine, and of course, Esther's paintings.

''Orphan'' is a 2009 psychological horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by David Leslie Johnson, with its original story by Alex Mace. Production was split between two companies, one of them being Appian Way Productions, founded by Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio, who also directly co-produced the film, with distribution being handled by Creator/WarnerBros

In February 2020, a prequel named ''Esther'' was announced. Production was slated to begin in summer 2020, but was halted due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic until November, when the prequel was officially renamed ''Film/OrphanFirstKill''. Fuhrman has reprised her role, joined by Creator/JuliaStiles and Rossif Sutherland (''Series/{{Reign}}'', ''Film/Trench11'') as the parents of the family she joins.

** Brenda, the girl who bullies Esther on her first day of school, gets her ankle broken after [[spoiler: Esther pushes her off the slide.]]

* {{Jerkass}}: The boys that Danny hangs out with.

** Esther herself is [[spoiler: a subversion, as while unimaginably cruel, she is actually a 33-year-old woman.]]

*** She doesn't think to call the cops sooner, despite the fact as she is fairly quick to realize that there is something wrong with Esther. Why on earth would she even let her come to the hospital?

* ArmorPiercingSlap: At the hospital, after Esther attempts to kill Daniel, Kate knows it's her doing and confronts her, slapping her so hard Esther falls. Even if Kate gets restrained and sedated afterwards, Esther does [[WoundedGazelleGambit genuinely looks scared of her for a second]].

** Esther: [[FromTheMouthsOfBabies "I know, they fuck."]]

** Esther: [[FromtheMouthsofBabes "I know, they fuck."]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Leena is absolutely disgusted and horrified when Tricia tells her the truth behind the real Esther's disappearance.]]

In February 2020, a prequel named ''Esther'' was announced. Production was slated to begin in summer 2020, but was halted due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic until November, when the prequel was officially renamed ''Film/OrphanFirstKill''. Fuhrman has been confirmed to be reprising her role, joined by Creator/JuliaStiles and Rossif Sutherland (''Series/{{Reign}}'', ''Film/Trench11'').

* DreamIntro: The film begins with Kate having a terrifying nightmare about her stillbirth.

* {{Jerkass}}: The boys that Danny hangs out with, but Danny himself is a JerkassWoobie.

* MoralMyopia: The Coleman family's adoption of Esther as a replacement goldfish for a deceased stillborn child, when they are on the verge of divorce and recovering from infidelity and alcoholism, comes across as highly unethical.
* MrExposition: Dr. Värava, who reveals to Kate and the audience Esther's real identity, [[spoiler: age]],and past.

* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Out of the children [[spoiler: (or are they?)]], Max is sweet and innocent (nice), Esther is violent and sadistic (mean), and Danny is a bratty JerkWithAHeartOfGold (in-between).

Lose a little, and always have the blues a little

!!This film provides examples of:

''That's the story of, that's the glory of love.''

* GroinAttack: Esther interrogates Daniel and threatens to castrate him with a box cutter at one point.