Director: William Brent Bell
Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, Matthew Finlan
Distributor: StudioCanal
Runtime: 104 mins. Reviewed in Sep 2022
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc

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Rating notes: Strong violence

A malevolent orphan escapes from an Estonian psychiatric facility and pretends to be the missing abducted daughter of a grieving and wealthy US family – and wreaks more havoc.

In 2009, critics and audiences were praising of a kind of psychological thriller, with touches of horror, that focused on a mysterious young orphan, Esther, who was warmly taken into a family, , but with some psychotic consequences. The film had a strong cast with Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard as the parents. But, it was a young Isabelle Fuhrman, as Esther, who made a powerful impression. Sympathetic, repellent, puzzling.

And, 13 years later, producers have had the idea to create a prequel. Who was Esther originally? What was her background? Why was she as she was with the family?

Interesting idea, of course. But, always a challenge to persuade the fans that they should watch a prequel or that it could be possibly as good as the original. (And, of course, there were mixed verdicts, and, it would seem as always, the fans opting for the original and downplaying the prequel.) And, all the plot details not to be taken literally or realistically.

To appreciate the plot of this film will depend on how much of the original we actually remember. But, on checking again with reviews and synopses, it would seem that the writers of this film have simply taken over the basic plot of the original, but provided some intriguing variations.

In fact, Esther is really Leena, who lives in an Institute in Estonia. She is violent and a menace, needing to be controlled, but having quite an artistic talent. And, with using Isabelle Fuhrman again as Esther/Leena, they have to get around the fact that the actress was 30 at the time of filming, turning her into a childlike appearance of the dwarfed older woman, able to turn on the childish charm at a moment’s notice.

Leena makes her way to Moscow, having a book which gives information about a family who lost their little daughter, Esther, some years earlier. Leena concocts a plan, claiming to be the long lost daughter.

We are introduced to the family in Darien, Connecticut, at a fencing match where a teenage son conquers his opponent, to the praise of his mother (an interesting return to the screen for Stiles) and a distracted father, still overcome by the loss of his daughter (Sutherland).

So, the new Esther now arrives, playing to the family, playing to the gallery, seemingly charming, suspected by a counsellor but then winning her over, but antagonistic towards the older brother. The mother is happy, displaying her recovered daughter. And the father, an artist, begins to come to life with joy in the company of his daughter. Fuhrman’s appearance and manner is very like that of the British actress, Shirley Henderson.

So far, so happy. But, compliments to the screenwriters in introducing an unexpected twist and the rest of the film playing on the twist, bringing touches of violence and horror, more than we might have anticipated. If we accept the original film, why not accept this variation on the theme?