Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona
Written by Sergio G. Sánchez

Producer Guillermo del Toro provided support for the superbly spooky The Orphanage directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez.

Belén Rueda stars as Laura, who has returned with her husband and son to the orphanage where she lived as a child. Laura and her husband (a doctor) plan to take charge of several children with disabilities, caring for them in the refurbished country house. But an argument with her son Simón (Roger Príncep) begins a terrible chain of events for Laura, each one leading her deeper into the orphanage's mysterious past.

The performances of Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo (as her husband) and Roger Príncep provide a perfect moral and emotional center for a story that explores the depth and consequences of grief. Like so many great horror films, this one is based on complex human relations and our difficulty in coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.

The cinematography by Óscar Faura and art direction by Ińigo Navarro define a seaside world that can shift from stunning beauty to nightmarish intensity. More important, they have captured the long shadows and summer days of remembered childhood, and this is essential for us to understand how such a potentially disturbing place can be so cherished by Laura and Simón.

There is a lot of doubling and mirroring of characters, relations, and situations. Pay close attention to the rules of the game that Laura and Simón play together. In fact, pay close attention to everything. Every physical detail matters. Director Bayona gives the audience credit for being able to discern the interwoven themes and images; he only repeats information when it is absolutely necessary. Seldom does the horror genre offer such a perfectly designed plot, and still manage to be both frightening and very moving.

And, of course, there are the children. Yes, my favorite and most-feared subject of horror films: scary, scary children. One viewing will place the best of these little creatures, the pitiful and disturbing Tomás, at the end of your hallway at home for a month. A second viewing just might make him your permanent guest. So, beware. If you, too, are terrified of tots, don't watch this film alone.