El Orfanato

El Orfanato, aka The Orphanage, is probably one of the most well-written and well-made supernatural thrillers I've seen in years. Very rarely have I walked into a movie theater and got completely engrossed by the story and characters. I have to admit that I didn't really get into The Others until the last hour mostly because of Nicole Kidman's well-intentioned but alienating performance.

What impresses me most about El Orfanato is that it tells a perfect ghost story where every piece of a puzzle fits from the opening credits design to every plot twist. Its filmmaking & writing excellence aside, the emotions of the main character, a mother who loses her child, are deeply felt. It's also what sets El Orfanato aside from something like The Others which simply felt like a clever but manipulative movie.

In many ways, El Orfanato is even stronger than the Guillermo Del Toro directed Pan's Labyrinth in terms of the film's organic unity and lack of self-indulgence.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trL-n4PzcIk&feature=related