Orphan

Set in post-war Hungary, a boy named Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) struggles to reconcile his identity when his long-held belief in a father figure called Hirsch is thrown into question by the arrival of a brutish man known as The Butcher (Grégory Gadebois), who claims to be his real father.

Orphan, directed by László Nemes, who co-writes here with Clara Royer, is a largely bleak tale, and Andor’s rage dominates the atmosphere throughout, making the piece a slow-burning drama that can feel exhausting at times.

We journey with Andor through his rudderless childhood, often entering into situations far more dangerous than someone his age should have to endure, as he attempts to stay connected with his father figure (often talking to a boiler) and rid him and his long-suffering mother (Andrea Waskovics) of The Butcher, whose mysterious involvement becomes more pronounced as the film goes on.

The period recreation is seamless, and Nemes transports us back into this turbulent period in Hungary’s history. The Soviet presence in the streets and the antisemitic rhetoric make for a threatening landscape for the events to play out in. 

There is a mystery surrounding the past, which Nemes is playing on brilliantly, keeping the audience entranced in the dark secrets that seem to go unspoken yet fill the air around these characters, not least The Butcher, whose formidable presence (even on a motorcycle with a sidecar) creates a ghoulish entity on screen.

In an effort to capture the stark realism of the era, the film overstays its welcome at many points. Drawn-out scenes of Andor’s tearaway antics could certainly have been shortened, and the desire to depict the harsh climate the people were living in sacrifices some of the momentum for the viewer.

It is Andor’s desperation to know his real father, and the excellent performance by Bojtorján Barabas, however, that will give audiences the most memorable experience from watching the movie. The enduring themes of identity, lineage, and family are explored with devastating effect in this powerful, if long, Hungarian feature film.