MovieChat Forums > El orfanato (2008) Discussion > If it would have ended... (Spoiler obvio...

If it would have ended... (Spoiler obviously)


with the mom finding her dead kid and killing herself, i would have given the movie probably a 9. But since they chose to end the story with a semi happy ending, i gave it a 7...

When we reach the end and we slowly realize the unspeakable, that the kid died while exploring the house, that the banging on the walls was him trying to get out and that the big crash was actually him falling to his death, it felt like a kick to the face and an uppercut to the guts. It literally took my breath away and my mouth was open wide, i thought this is one of the best "horror" movies i'd seen in a while and probably in my top 5 ever.

Unfortunately, they opted for soothing the audience's feelings with this little biblical reunion they showed us at the end. "The Mist" had the courage to do it, "The Others" also kinda did it too in its own way and of course "The Pledge", which became a reference as for me in terms of hopeless absurd ending; too bad "The Orphanage" didn't have the spine too.

Obviously, this is all a matter of taste, i suppose others think this was enough of a sordid ending already, others will think this was the perfect ending. To each his own, of course.

And don't get me wrong, this is still a good movie, but it could have been a classic if it had ended 5min earlier, because the shock value of the kid's absurd death was diluted and dialed down by this comforting last scene with the mother and all the kids.


People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefsī²

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True, but the moment where mother realizes her child died because of her ignorance is so powerful that I didn't really pay that much intention on anything afterwards. And to be honest I don't mind her being happy on another world. It would definitely be a hell for her if she didn't kill herself. They probably only wanted to show us how on the end everybody ended up happy.

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I'm inclined to agree with the OP. But how durable is the happiness of the ending? I wonder if Laura, having not ceased to exist after taking the pills but instead finding herself in the afterlife cast in the exclusive role of mother to the children, might tire of such a confined existence, yearn for something like her former life, and spend eternity regretting taking the pills...

I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

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I wonder if Laura, having not ceased to exist after taking the pills but instead finding herself in the afterlife cast in the exclusive role of mother to the children, might tire of such a confined existence, yearn for something like her former life, and spend eternity regretting taking the pills...


Interesting idea.


People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefsī²

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Suicide though :/

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Thanks for posting your opinion, because it is the very same I had when I saw the movie for the first time a couple of years ago. But I was wrong.

Yes, if the movie ended with the mother finding her son dead and realizing that it was her fault, it would've been a powerful twist ending. But it already is a powerful twist, even if it isn't the movie's end. That said, without the epilogue that follows this scene, the story wouldn't have made sense. The whole film would've had to be re-written.

The point of the final scenes is not comforting or soothing, they offer actual closure to the story and therefore are absolutely vital.

First of all, why did the kids appear to Simon at all? Because they were restless souls whose death was unjust and they weren't ready to leave. They needed someone to uncover the injustice that happened to them. And who could do it better than their only living friend, Laura? Based on the movie's themes, Laura might have been "called" back to the Orphanage without realizing it. The ending gives closure to this theme, as the orphanage kids (including Laura) are reunited again and can finally find peace and have a happy "life" in the other world.

Secondly, this reunion is not comforting. Laura overdoses to become closer to death, so that she can see/sense the kids. And in the end she decides to not to fight for her life but to give it up and stay in this other world, where kids don't grow old, things are good and the lighthouse of hope is still working - despite having told Simon that she was too old to go with Peter Pan, eventually she chooses to stay in Neverland.

And thirdly, the husband's epilogue confirms that Laura's scenes were in fact what we think they were, not just wishful thinking or hallucinations, but she actually did die to stay with Simon. As she was passing, she tear off the bracelet that Carlos had given her with the words "I'm only borrowing it, you'll give it back when you find Simon." Finding the bracelet comforts Carlos because he knows that Laura and Simon have found each other even if they appear to have died in the real world.

I'm using the "other world" and "real world" contrast, because these two realities are actually briefly mentioned in the movie - when Laura attends the fat man's presentation, he's talking about doppelgangers from two worlds.

Lately, I've started to analyze stories and scripts more closely than I used to, and this enables you to understand underlying themes which might not be completely obvious. So yes, I agree that if the movie had ended without those epilogue scenes, it would've been more shocking (like The Mist) but it would also not work because there would be too many open thematic questions. And even if you'd like the twist-y ending, after a while you'd start asking many "But why was..." questions and you'd complain about unresolved ideas.

Hope this helps.

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Nice writeup, Inspector. Thanks.

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Agreed, great write up Inspector. I feel like Laura loved being there which is why she came back to start the home for children with disabilities in the first place. She told Beniga that she was only going to have about 5 or 6 kids there (just like when she was there). She was basically recreating her childhood. Unfortunately her son died accidentally like Tomas but she was able to be with Simon and all her friends again. It's a happy ending but in a way it's not because they both still died. Sort of like Pan's Labyrinth (another GDT favorite of mine)...

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