Ellen Pompeo's New Hulu Series Has Exactly The Same Plot As This 2009 Horror With 60% On Rotten Tomatoes

Ellen Mompeo’s new Hulu drama, Good American Family, will seem familiar to horror fans, as the series recycles the plot of a popular 2009 horror film. For years, Ellen Pompeo has been recognizable primarily as Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy. However, the actor left the medical drama and has taken on her first post-Grey’s Anatomy lead role in a true crime-inspired drama-thriller called Good American Family, which released its first trailer on February 19. The story fictionalizes the headline-grabbing story of Natalia Grace and her former adoptive parents, Kristin and Michael Barnett.

In Spring of 2010, the Barnetts adopted a little Ukrainian girl named Natalia Grace who lived with a rare form of dwarfism. The pair became convinced that Natalia was significantly older than she was, although this has since been medically proven false. They took steps to re-age her and then abandoned her. Their story became national news in 2019 when the parents were charged with child neglect. Though the Hulu show Good American Family is meant to dramatize the story of the real-life victim Natalia Grace, it is much more similar to the plot of the movie Orphan.

Good American Family's Plot Is Almost Identical To 2009's Orphan

Good American Family And Orphan Both Follow A Grown Woman Pretending To Be A Foreign Orphan

Based on Good American Family’s trailer, the series has a lot in common with Orphan. The 2009 film tells the story of a family who adopts a 33-year-old Estonian woman pretending to be a young orphan who causes harm to a family. She ends up being a serial killer. Similarly, Good American Family tells the story of a family who adopts a woman with dwarfism who’s pretending to be a young orphan from Ukraine. They soon discover that she’s stolen the identity of someone else, and she’s dangerous.

First Kill’s Big Twist Makes It Even Better Than Orphan

Orphan is known for its wild age reveal, but First Kill is able to subvert expectations and deliver a better twist that audiences didn't see coming.

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Good American Family seems more interested in centering and sensationalizing the allegations perpetuated by the Barnetts. The decision to feature their perspective heavily partly explains why Good American Family feels so similar to Orphan. The real Natalia Grace revealed in the second season of the Investigation Discover documentary The Curious Case of Natalia Gracethat she believes the movie Orphan inspired the Barnetts, with many of their accusations aligning with the horror film. Hopefully, the trailer is a misnomer and the Hulu series presents a more balanced picture of the actual events.

The Biggest Difference Is That Good American Family Gives Away Orphan's Twist In The Trailer

The Trailer For Good American Family Reveals That The Fictional Natalia Grace Might Not Be The Age That She Says

Looking at the trailer for Good American Family, the biggest difference between the show and Orphan is the fact that the Hulu series reveals that the parents don’t think Natalia is a child. Michael then opens up official documents that say her name but don’t show her photo, implying that she isn’t who she says she is. Contrastingly, Orphan keeps the age twist a secret, only revealing that Esther has become dangerous in the trailer. Anyone watching the horror film after just seeing the trailer would be in for a shock when Orphanfinally reveals Esther’s true identity and age.