the orphanage be a slick and quietly chill piece of work base around ( what else . ) an orphanage . a woman name laura return to the orphanage she grow up in a a child and with the intention of open it up again a a home for child with disability . together with her husband and adopt son simon and laura try to make the huge old building ready to receive it first new resident and but all be not quiet in the dusty room and ground and and gradually she start to feel sinister presence from the past making themselves know . the film string out quite a good story and blend traditional scare ( bump noise hear through wall and door and silently appear child in mask ) with modern touch ( simon be hiv positive ) . although most of the actual fright be on the soft side and the film do have quite away with sudden shock and especially one great sequence involve the death of a sinister secondary character . you will know when you see it . but mostly and thing stay pretty calm and and there be time when i be wish for something more visceral to actually happen and a many of the very well build tension sequence fade away without any cinematic pay off and such a a very tense séance sequence and and in most of the ( many ) scene of laura alone in the orphanage and she be almost too subtly menace for thing to get really scary and which i think be a shame . however there be certain moment when you will jump . however and the orphanage still stand up a a strong piece of work . the backbone of the film be undoubtedly the strong performance by belén rueda a laura and who carry the entire film admirably . the film look great and with stunning photography and very elegant set and a gorgeous building standing in for the orphanage itself . sound and music work very well too and and the film succeed in work many small element together ( such a a playground hiding game and some very clever revelation towards the end ) and so all in all and the film be an accomplished piece of cinema and well worth see and although do not expect too much real terror a most of the chill in this film be poetic rather than gruesome .