Jaume Collet-Serra’s 2009 psychological horror Orphan undeniably captivated audiences with the introduction of Esther — a relatively normal 9-year-old Russian girl who is yearning to be adopted by a loving family. However, after being adopted by the Coleman family, it quickly becomes clear that Esther’s behavior is unlike the traditional behavior of a young girl. In the end, Esther’s true identity is revealed, and audiences soon learn that no one is a match for Esther — until now.
In the upcoming prequel, Orphan: First Kill, horror fans will be introduced to the origin of Esther’s complicated backstory, which includes her apparent escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility. And while Esther certainly had the upper hand in the original film, perhaps her calculated chokehold on innocent victims isn’t as tight as she had hoped. While chatting with MovieWeb, star Julia Stiles touched upon her character Trisha standing toe-to-toe with “Esther,” who is deviously posing as Trisha’s missing daughter.
I think Esther, in this one, has met her match. The family that she manipulates, at the head of that family is the matriarch, my character Trisha… she’s desperate to heal the family, and she’s holding on to this idea that they can, and that it will all work out, but she looks at Esther like, ‘there’s something off, this doesn’t quite feel right.’ What she does with that is really fun to watch, and to see Esther have to reckon with that… it’s something that I think fans of the first one will really appreciate.
Considering many horror movies feature lackluster protagonists that easily fall victim to the villain, it’s certainly refreshing to know that a heroine is willing to stand up and protect themselves and the ones they love — although it still remains to be seen if Trisha has bitten off more than she can actually chew.
Orphan: First Kill hits select theaters and Paramount Plus tomorrow, Aug. 19.
