They say a child is the closest thing to God, all pure and innocent, but what happens when a child becomes your worst nightmare, bringing chaos instead of joy? The trope of evil children isn’t new. it’s a tried-and-true staple in pop culture, seen in many episodes of “Criminal Minds” and the iconic movie “Orphan.” Michelle Ouellet’s film “Bad Orphan” follows the same path, but it does so with a unique flair. Despite its humble budget and a cast that’s more on the everyday side, this film manages to hold its own and delivers chills and thrills.
The Bad Orphan (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The film kicks off with a house fire scene, where a couple is having a chat with a police officer. The officer hints that the fire might have been an accident, but the couple insists it was no accident. Their eight-year-old daughter, Gabby, started it because she absolutely despises them. Next, we meet with Jessica and Karl—a couple with a picture-perfect life. They enjoy successful careers and have a beautiful daughter, Rhiannon. The couple have been trying to adopt for years, and every plan has hit a dead end. With Rhiannon heading off to college soon, the thought of an empty nest is too much for Jessica to bear. Therefore, she wants to fill the house with a child as soon as possible.
The adoption agency suggests they should consider adopting an eight-year-old girl with support needs. Jessica and Karl mull it over and decide to meet the girl first. After learning about Gabby’s tragic childhood, they feel it’s their duty to give her the love and life she deserves. Little do they know, this sweet eight-year-old is the same Gabby who was returned to the agency after allegedly trying to burn her previous family’s house with them inside. During their meeting, Gabby works her charm, sweet-talks Jessica and Karl, and shows them a stolen drawing of a happy family. They’re sold, and Gabby is soon adopted.
How do things change for Jessica, Karl, and Rhiannon following the adoption?
Everyone is excited to welcome Gabby into their family. Rhiannon, Gabby’s sister, shows her around the house with love and care. Gabby’s disability doesn’t faze them at all. Gabby gets her own bedroom, which is something kids in orphanages can only dream of. Karl and Jessica are devoted parents, hell-bent on making Gabby feel welcome and providing her with everything a child her age deserves. Sadly, things start to get rocky when Gabby begins throwing tantrums. She demands caviar and screams at Jessica whenever she’s asked to take a bath. When Jessica refuses to take her to a movie because of a busy workday, Gabby sabotages her client’s kitchen. Karl suggests they take Gabby to a counselor. But Jessica, feeling sympathetic about Gabby’s tragic past, worries that therapy might backfire.
Unfortunately, things only go downhill from there. Gabby starts stealing anything she can get her hands on, from school trophies to posters from Rhiannon’s room, and she decorates her own space with the stolen things. When she’s told to apologize and return the items, Gabby just screams in their faces. As retaliation, Gabby also leaves her stuffed toy on the stairs, which causes Jessica to trip and sprain her arm. Things escalate when Gabby joins a new school. From day one, Jessica starts getting complaints about Gabby stealing other students’ belongings.
Why does Jessica & Karl decide to get Gabby psychiatric help?
After a few weeks, Jessica starts suspecting that Gabby might not actually be eight years old but a grown adult with a condition that makes her look like a child. Her suspicions are fueled by several clues: Gabby getting her period, stealing tampons, knowing things an eight-year-old shouldn’t, and even flirting with Rhiannon’s boyfriend. As things spiral out of control, they decide to get Gabby a therapist, hoping it will help correct her behavior. But Gabby has other plans, calls child welfare, and even shares a post from Jessica’s account, painting Jessica as a gracious woman who adopted an orphan girl. Gabby does this to show them she can destroy their careers in a snap, and all she needs to do is make a fake complaint to child welfare.
Things are really starting to spiral out of control, so Jessica digs deep to find any information she can about Gabby. When Gabby catches wind of this, she switches Jessica’s dishwashing gloves with latex ones, knowing Jessica is allergic. This sends Jessica into anaphylactic shock. Fed up and desperate, Karl decides it’s time to send Gabby to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation, but Gabby escapes before they can get her there.
The Bad Orphan (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
What Happens to Jessica?
Turns out, Gabby didn’t run away. Jessica had tied her up and hidden her in the closet. And the poison was Jessica’s own doing. She did that to herself, hoping Karl would take her seriously and send Gabby back to the adoption agency. When this all comes to light, Karl has no choice but to admit Jessica to psychiatric care. At the hospital, Jessica is diagnosed with Persecutory Delusional Disorder. This is a condition where the patient believes someone is out to harm them. As the film draws to a close, we see Jessica accepting her condition and acknowledging she needs psychiatric help. She also apologizes to Karl for her actions and admits that she was wrong to see Gabby as an enemy.
Is Gabby evil or not?
The film leaves us hanging, letting us draw our own conclusions. From the get-go, it’s clear Gabby is a troubled kid with a habit of taking things that aren’t hers. She plays the role of a child, but her actions suggest otherwise. Toward the end, Gabby comes clean, admitting she’s actually fifteen, not eight. She lied about her age so people would adopt her. As for the stuff she stole, Gabby says she was trying to be like Rhiannon, hoping Karl and Jessica would love her more. So, if you look at it from that angle, Gabby is just a teenager trying to fit in.
So, why did Jessica try to kidnap Gabby? There are two sides to this coin. It could be that Jessica was genuinely grappling with a mental illness and saw Gabby as a threat, even though Gabby might not have been one at all. To convince Karl of her perspective, she swapped out the gloves with latex ones. So, it’s possible Jessica was just seeing things through the lens of her illness, imagining threats where there were none.
