This foster care-focused horror movie proves we’ve learned nothing from Orphan

Over a decade ago, a Psychological Horror Movie Called Orphan Rattled audiences when it came to theaters. The film-which focused on a couple who adopt a 9-elyar-op for Ling their baby, but comes to the Girl they adopted is what she seamed-had a decent Return at the Box Office and Was Well-like by horror fans. Adoption Groups and Other Professionals, Howver, Found it an offensive promotion of harmful stereotypes about adoption. I COULD NOT STOP THINING ABOUT Orphan while watching the new Movie The Other.

The Other Has a Similar setup. A Married Couple, Robin (Olivia Macklin) and Daniel (Dylan McTee), Struggle with Infertility and, after Multiple Losses Due to MisCarriages, They Decide to Foster. The child they end up with is the sewely traumatized kathelia (avangeline friend), who is also mute. While kathelia initially seames sweet and unassuming, the second she shares to the house, a series of Strange and Increasingly Concerning Acts Start to Happen.

The Paul Etheredge-Directed Film is Has Moments of Trying to Make Something Artistic and Different. But ultimately, that all it does – try. And whereter it be the performance or the script itelf, The Other FAILS A LOT, AND IT MISTEPS IN SOME WAYS THAT I FOUND UNORFIVable.

The Other’s Sloppy Storytelling Leads to Problem & Harmful Messaging

Have us really not come come tan than this?

While it is tried to redeem itelf in the third act, The Other was irreparably problematic. From the beginner of the story, Robin and Daniel seem utterly inconsiderate of the trauma kathelia has gone through. In a more thoughtful film, this lack of empathy be porrayed as a character flaw. But in The Otherit is justified by the fact that myterious and sinister things are actually going on. The pool is filled with pink scum, and kathelia really does Steal and Hide Kitchen Knives and Power Tools.

This is made work by the fact that the optics for this terrible. It is essential to the mention that kathelia is black, while her foster parents (and the Majority of the Film’s Other Characters) are White. Not Only Does This Risk Promoting A White Savior Narrative Well It Comes to Fostering and Adoption, But IT POSITIONS The Young, Traumatized Black Child as the Villain for the Majority of the Film. This adds a race element that tan a flawed film like Orphan Did not have, stupid problem.

There are a couple of Times when the film tries to acknowledge its racial element. Specific, Kathelia’s Neighbor, Fiona (Lily D. Moore), Takes a moment to acknowledge the non-speaking foster child’s “color“while notting that they are”beautiful“but”different“From Those Around HER. I interpreted this as the movie’s way of referenc Kathelia’s Experience of Being a Black in a White Family and Predominantly White Community. Issues Surrounding International Adoption on the Surface.

Fiona’s Character is Also Worth Mentioning Wen It Comes To The Other‘S Problem full of points. Like Moore Herself, Fiona Has Down Syndrome. While this provides Opportunities for Representation, The film falls into the raft of portraying a disabled person as a mystical person with supernatural abilities. This is a trope that is too is too comes to portraying disability onscreen, and it is on full display here. This is made work by the fact that fiona’s abilities are not explained unil late in the film.

These elements of The Other are so pervasive that it is hard to talk about anything else use it to the Movie. SURE, The performance are Also Not Good. Macklin and McTee are thoroughly unikable and unconvincing in the lead roles. They SEEM DONDERED AND DISINGENUOUS FROM THE VERST FRAMES, MAKING IT HARD TO BUY INTO ROBIN’S SUPPOSED Psychological torture. This was Only Underlined by the Weak Dialogue that made their Conversations Stilked and Uncaring. The problem at the Movie’s Core is Still Sloppy and Irrespsonsible Fuling.

I was Mildly intrigue by the full progression in The Otherbut it did not redeem itelf from a themeic perspective. Thinking Back to OrphanI was left wanting about how Little progress has ben made it coma to portraying willing to adoption and trauma onscreen. Yes, The Other tried to address the intersecting traumas of its protagonists in the third act. But in the process, it berawed the emotional gravity of its subjects matter so deeply and on multiple levels that it failed to create a corent arc.

The Other

2/10

Release Date

June 13, 2025

Runtime

99 minutes

Directory

Paul Etredge

Wriers

Paul Etredge

Producers

Jeffrey Reddick, Tim Nagle, Lisa Normand, Jeff Walker

Pros & Cons

• The Acting is Weak and Disingenous
• The Script is Flat and Emotionless
• Overall, The Other Promotes Harmful Stereotypes About Adoption, Race, and Disability