A few years ago, if we would have had a discussion about movies that deserved or would receive sequels, I think it’s safe to assume Orphan would be pretty low on that list. The last time we left Esther, she was taking a forever nap at the bottom of a pond. Though unexpected, Isabelle Fuhrman’s return is welcomed with open arms as we get another 90 minutes to delve into the madness that is Esther in this prequel.

A couple of years before the events of Orphan, Leena Klammer – a 31-year-old woman with a hormonal disorder that gives her the appearance of a 9-year-old child – escapes from a psychiatric institute and leaves a bloody path behind her. Leena starts a search for missing American girls that bear close resemblance to herself and comes across Esther Albright who went missing in 2003. Posing as the missing girl, Leena approaches a police officer and introduces herself as “Esther”. Back in the US, Allen (Rossif Sutherland) and Tricia (Julia Stiles) Albright have been dealing with the disappearance of their daughter for the past four years and have just started coming to terms with the possibility their daughter may never return. Their world is turned upside down when the detective on their case, Inspector Donnan (Hiro Kanagawa), arrives at their house with the news that their daughter has been found. As “Esther” acclimates back into their family, the family tension starts to rise as Tricia begins to suspect that her found daughter may not be who she says she is.

Screenwriter David Coggeshall leads us down very familiar territory at the beginning of this film. We see a lot of the same tropes from the first like Esther conniving to keep her secret hidden, a mother who feels something is wrong, and more. Just as we start to think we are going down the same path, Coggeshall provides a massive left turn that carries us on the edge of our seats for the rest of the film, providing the much needed extra oomph to make this a film worthwhile.

Of course when this film was announced as a prequel there were a lot of questions, especially with Fuhrman reprising her role as Esther. In Orphan, Fuhrman was a pre-teen pretending to be a 30-year-old woman pretending to be a child. Fuhrman now being a woman had a much more difficult task of trying to look how she did back in 2009. Furhman and director William Brent Bell do a fantastic job of actually pulling this off with the use of practical effects and camera angles. While the viewer still has to drop some believability in regards to the de-aging, it is not jarring enough to completely distract from the film.

While Fuhrman continues to flourish in Orphan: First Kill as Esther, one cannot discredit her co-star Stiles as Tricia. Stiles does a fantastic job of carrying the same amount of energy in her scenes with Fuhrman, and actually steals the scene a few times. Her wide range goes past her typical character piece and we see a different side of Stiles in this film entirely.

Orphan: First Kill is not going to be some art house piece or have any deeper meaning. Parts of this film drag, especially between the second and third act. Scenes have a hazy grain over them which can be distracting, presumably to hide the de-aging process for Esther. Some scenes are over-the-top and not realistic. But at the same time, Orphan: First Kill isn’t trying to be that and it thrives by accepting the absurdity and campiness. If you liked the first Orphan then you will enjoy another ride with Esther.