Spooked in Spain

Horror movies, good and bad, can shock and appall, but only rarely do they genuinely open a door to a deeper part of our humanity. Spain's "The Orphanage" does just that, with doors and windows continually appearing to pass the audience from one world to another. \nThese portals transport Laura (Belén Rueda), a mother whose son Simón (Roger Príncep) has gone mysteriously missing, deeper into her house in futile search, with ever-increasing paranormal activity around her. Even as her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) tries to convince her otherwise, Laura believes she is growing closer to putting together the puzzle of her son's disappearance.\nI'll hold off on plot points here because the shocks alone are worth the price of admission. I barely made it through without cowering behind a chair. Suffice it to say, all the typical elements of a horror movie are present: the chanting kids, the haunted ex-orphanage, the bumps in the night, etc. \nThe genius of J.A. Bayona, in his stunning feature film debut, however, lies in his ability to fill in the gaps between the "Boo!" moments, or more accurately, to force the audience to fill in the gaps for him. He pulls the tension as tight as possible right from the start and doesn't let go, leaving no slack moments to relax.\nIn addition to this proper balance of suspense and horror, Bayona avoids the cliches of modern horror. He refuses not only the high-gore teenager body count of American horror, but also the endless "Gotcha!" gimmickry of Japanese imports. \nInstead, much like in his friend (and the producer of the film) Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," fear takes hold of us in Bayona's film because we believe in his characters. As Laura goes deeper into the alternate world inside her house, we believe in her quest because we can see it: In her sagging eyes and rough voice. Rueda plays Laura with force; she is never a victim. She always chooses her path, and we willingly follow behind. Whether she's really seeing ghosts or simply going insane, the audience has faith in Laura as a mother and human being.\nJudging by the sparse crowd, I imagine this movie doesn't have much of an audience, but it deserves one. "The Orphanage" opens a door that will remain open long after you've left the theater.