When the Orphan came out in 2009 it was a hit and really found it's audience. I was a huge fan of the movie when it came out and still am to this day. It somehow managed to be a combination of dark, scary and fun at the same time. There was a twist to the movie but it wasn't that outlandish and to be honest, the twist being ruined would in no way take away from the enjoyment of the film. It definitely had a lot of rewatch value for me.
This love of the movie created equal parts apprehension and excitement when I learned there was going to be a sequel being made. How could it possibly live up to the first one? At the same time, I had to see it right away because I just wanted more of the Orphan and that vibe.
I didn't have especially high hopes but those were completely blown away when I started watching the movie. It started out pretty standard, seemed almost to be re-playing the events of the first film in some ways and while I wasn't disappointed, it definitely wasn't spectacular. But a twist in the plot brought new life to the film an series and I enjoyed it so much more partway through when things changed. Despite it being a little off-putting how much older Esther looks from the first one, despite this taking place earlier, I was able to look past those superficial details and really enjoy the plot and the telling of the story. My only other real gripe is that there were some questions that were left unanswered. On the good side, there were also tons of little nods to the original thrown it. Without going into spoilers, I can safely say I highly recommend giving this film a watch.