The phrase, “mother knows best” has been coined by many, and is however, not always taken to heart, as is the case in the new psychological horror flick “Orphan,” directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

After losing their third child after a stillbirth, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) are heartsick over their traumatic loss.

Wanting to fill that void in their hearts of a lost third child and to give their youngest — deaf daughter Max — a sister they choose to take the route of adoption.

That’s when the couple takes a visit to an all-girls orphanage and come across a quiet, detached child named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) — a well-mannered, mature and articulate nine-year-old Russian immigrant.

However, Esther is not the angel that she seems to be, and Kate will soon discover it’s just an act.

Pitting Kate and John against each other by her instant father-daughter bond with John and Kate’s constant intrigue toward the “accidental” mishaps that seem to follow Esther, the film puts the audience through a psychological collision with the thought of what could be, and what actually is.

Statements from Esther like, “I don’t think mommy likes me very much” keeps that bond with her and John strong and makes him increasingly latch onto the notion that Kate simply needs to try harder to see Esther in the perfect, loveable way that his eyes do.

Vera Farmiga provides viewers with a well-done performance of a woman that must relive the consequences of past mistakes because of alcohol abuse by having her own husband turn against her when she starts to sense something disturbingly wrong with their new addition to the family.

Since her introduction in 1998, Farmiga has been in more than 30 productions, including Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” (2006) in which she shared an award with other lead cast members for Best Ensemble by the National Board of Review, USA.

“The Orphan” featured first-time young film actress Aryana Engineer, who played the role of youngest child of the Coleman household, deaf little girl, Max, who couldn’t help but reach a soft spot in audience members’ hearts.

Max, only able to communicate by sign language, shows the audience the strength of the trust and bond between siblings — even non-blood related ones — and the secrets one will keep for those they love, even if those secrets hold deadly consequences.

A good horror film may seem as a few and far between these days, but “The Orphan” is sure to keep audience members on the edge of their seats, continuously wondering who exactly this newly adopted child is and what dark secrets follow her.

Jaume Collet-Sera, a director who has put out only a small number of Hollywood films, keeps this mystery alive by blending a series of unfolding clues, violence, gore and drama into a seemingly unpredictable outcome.

For those who love to watch movies that may make them jump and consistently itch to know what will happen next, then “Orphan” is sure to provide at least some fun entertainment.

Reach the reporter at bryan.brougham@asu.edu