Isabelle Fuhrman appears in a scene from “Orphan: First Kill.”

It’s been 13 years since “Orphan” was released in theaters – a horror film that featured a clever twist and a wonderful performance from Isabelle Fuhrman as the creepy little Russian girl named Esther who is not who she seems.

Now comes the prequel “Orphan: First Kill” which traces Esther’s backstory with Fuhrman back to reprise the role. It’s a prequel that on paper feels like its a desperate cash grab. With Fuhrman fully committed to the role again and a solid screenplay from David Coggeshall that has its own surprises, it proves to be more than that – a pleasant surprise that is on the same level as the original.

“First Kill” begins with Esther – the young woman who isn’t a child, but actually a 30-year old who suffers from hypopituitarism – escaping from an Estonian psychiatric facility.

Esther decides to impersonate the missing 9-year-old child of an American couple, Tricia (Julia Stiles) and Allen (Rossif Sutherland). From the beginning, Tricia and her son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan) suspect Esther might not be who she claims to be, but Allen seems to be reinvigorated by the return of his daughter.

As doubts continue to increase, Esther tries to stay one step ahead of everyone, determined to make the most of her newfound freedom.

Just having Fuhrman, who is now 25, back to play the lead role is enough to at least give “First Kill” a chance. Director William Brent Bell makes the most of CGI and other camera tricks to at least make Fuhrman look like she can pass as a young child, with Fuhrman’s performance committed to making it easy for the audience to suspend its disbelief.

For a while though “First Kill” lacks the same kind of tension or investment as the original – largely because you know where it is all heading and you know Esther moves on to another family that we have already seen on film. Then about halfway through the film Coggeshall’s screenplay takes a turn that is as clever of a twist as the original, completely turning the whole film on its head.

It leads to a wild second half where everyone – especially Stiles – is committed to the absolutely bonkers turn. In the final act “First Kill” embraces its campy silliness, fully committing to the craziness with such passion that it makes it all work.

I wasn’t expecting to like “Orphan: First Kill” as much as I did. It more than exceeded my expectations, a satisfying prequel that actually enhances the original in ways I didn’t think would be possible.

Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles

Directed by: William Brent Bell

Rating: R for bloody violence, language and brief sexual content

Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, available for streaming on Paramount+

Grade: B-