Orphan: First Kill embraces cheese, but doesn't transcend it. It's scandalous with a surprising twist, but First Kill's excitement is matched by its lack of thought. There are half-baked themes, contrived plot elements, illogical character choices, underdeveloped relationships, cliche dialogue, rushed pacing, and unrelatable character tropes. Some will argue that First Kill's corniness is fun, but intentional camp requires consistent self-awareness and stylish thrills. Instead, First Kill is generic. This is further reflected in the acting, where Stiles and Fuhrman hit strong tones but are surrounded by monotonous mediocrity. Thus, First Kill is more dull than fresh.
Technically, First Kill is fatally flawed. There's cinematic focus, lighting, and composition. There are dissolves, montages, match cuts, and intercuts. The sound uses stings, split cuts, echoes, and muting. Its music is tense, yet adds fitting pop hits and trans-diegetic piano. Conversely, there's hollow production design and disjointed direction. Still, First Kill sinks because it miscasts Fuhrman as a child and attempts to hide that with special effects. When the plot hinges on her looking like a kid, this is horribly distracting. Ultimately, First Kill's racy shlock might entertain some, but its absent substance and awkward filmmaking make it a subpar movie.
Writing: 3/10
Direction: 4/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Acting: 5/10
Editing: 6/10
Sound: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 4/10
Casting: 3/10
Effects: 3/10
Overall Score: 4.6/10
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