It’s taken two years for Paramount to finally give Case 39 a release date, a film which marks Renee Zellweger’s return to the horror genre she once called home. It’s a costly delay, as just a few months back, a remarkably similar film called Orphan plagued screens, proving that the creepy-child routine was on its last leg. Consequently, it’s hard to look excitedly towards Case 39 given that it promises much the same. It’s a shame because if the film was released back in 2007 when it was actually completed – which might I add was before production on Orphan even began – it might have been met with more enthusiasm.

The good news is that Case 39, by comparison to Orphan, is a great film. Admittedly though, most films are.

We follow workaholic social worker Emily Jenkins (Zellweger), whose 39^th case is that of bright young Lillith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland). She grows concerned for the child after meeting her inhospitable parents (Callum Keith Rennie and Kerry O’Malley), believing them to be abusive. Her hunch pays off when she gets a distressed call from Lillith moments before she is gagged by her parents  and shockingly placed inside a gas oven with the intent of incinerating her. Emily arrives just in time to save Lillith, eventually claiming custody over the seemingly innocent girl until she can find a foster family. Yet various people Lillith comes in contact with start to die by supernatural means, causing Emily and her child psychiatrist boyfriend Douglas (Bradley Cooper) to question whether the girl is a victim at all.

Case 39 takes no shame in being a strictly by-the-numbers supernatural horror; the climactic conclusion in particular is about as original as a Beatles cover band. Thankfully though, the film doesn’t solely rely on its taboo subject matter for all the shocks like Orphan did, boasting moments of genuine suspense and an overall solid pace. Alvart’s direction may be lacking originality – every shot feels like it’s been borrowed from somewhere else – but he generally uses conventions to their full effect. The aforementioned sequence involving Lillith in the oven is dripping with tension, as is a later scene where the demonic girl is fiercely beating down the door to Emily’s room.

Yet each instance of quality is equally met by a tactless one. Most frustratingly, there are a number of shocks bought on by a sudden bust of sound, be it a dog barking out of the blue or a clock abruptly ringing. It’s a cheap scare tactic Hollywood horror’s continue to utilise even though it hampers the mood of a scene by abruptly jolting us from our immersion.  A few death scenes also miss their mark, plagued by copious amounts of unconvincing CGI that propels the absurdity of events.

Zellweger’s return to horror is a welcomed one; she’s suits the character of Emily well and makes for a likeable protagonist, which is all too rare in the genre. The same can’t be said about a rather listless Bradley Cooper as Douglas, whose romance with Emily doesn’t convince (which is surprising considering Zellweger and Cooper have since dated in reality). Jodelle Ferland does a memorable job as  the creepy-child, particularly showcasing her menace during  one great scene where she shifts from lil’ cutey to demon-child during a psychological assessment.

Usually when a production company holds back a film’s release, it’s because they’re concerned about the quality of the film. If that were the reason for Case 39’s delay, it’s unjustified. While it mightn’t be the best trip you’ll take to the cinema this year in the name of horror, it’s far from the worst.

Follow the author Anders Wotzke on Twitter.