Comparison of 'The Ring' and 'Orphan'

The Ring and Orphan both have different directors, writers and actors; however in some ways they are very similar.

Both trailers feature people who are trapped in their own way. For example Ester from Orphan seems to be trapped wherever she is. For example at the beginning when she is at the orphanage she is trapped because she doesn't have parents to take her away, and later when she is in the bathroom stall she is not only trapped physically but within herself as well. In The Ring the people who watch the video are trapped because they can seemingly not escape the fate provoked by the video. The little boy seems unable to resist what the mysterious girl tells him to do and this consequently means he is trapped within her control. Also the girl that is hinted about in the trailer seems to be trapped somewhere and that is why the video kills.

 

Another similarity within the films is fake or mutated innocence. For example children are usually associated with innocence however within these movies children are used to create fear. In The Ring the little boy is being controlled by another person who is manipulating his innocence in order to carry out her biding and in Orphan, Ester is used to show that innocence can just be a mask. This is shown when she attempts to murder her ‘brother’ and love her ‘father’ in way inappropriate for a child.  
 

Both trailers both use on screen text to portray information to the audience. In The Ring it helps to give the audience a timeline ‘In Seven Days’ and also gives them a glimpse into one of the possible outcomes ‘You Die’.  In Orphan the on screen text  helps us to understand the situation ‘Something  Is Wrong With Ester’ and also makes the audience intrigued to know what is wrong with Ester, this is amplified when it says ‘You’ll Never Guess Her Secret’.