Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark review

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark review

FilmDistrict must be rubbing their hands in glee over the fact that they got their hands on Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Directed by Troy Nixey and produced by the icon of Mexican horror Guillermo Del Toro, this was THE talking point of the Berlin Film Festival, and is going to be a smash for FilmDistrict.

For those few that don’t know, this movie is a remake of the 1973 telepic that was broadcast on the ABC network. It tells the tale of Sally, played by Bailee Madison, who moves to Rhode Island with her father and his new girlfriend to live in the 19^th century mansion that they are hoping to restore. A pat on the back at this point for whoever had the inspiration to cast Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes as the pivotal adult leads.

Sally discovers the hidden basement in the mansion, and then starts hearing voices coming from a bolted ash pit. These voices are begging her to open it so she innocently obliges, unwittingly unleashing something so evil that everyone, especially Sally, is placed in mortal danger.

The screenplay by Matthew Robbins is a major part of the movies success, with the masterful way that he takes the generic plot of the original and infuses it to give it a whole new lease of life. The new version opens with a horrific sequence played out between an old man, creatures in the basement and a handful of teeth. It is then that it becomes apparent that Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark is actually a horrific version of the Tooth Fairy.

The ingenious way in which the famous myth is interwoven into the plot is done with such subtlety that there can be no preconceptions of how this turns out, and makes the whole thing so much more believable. Another nod to Robbins’ mastery is the way that he nails the characters when the premise is very much a cliché. The divorced parents and unwanted stepmother has been done to death, but you really care about these characters and pray that they make it.

While Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is not a super bloody or gory movie by any means, it is scary and Del Toro has actually stated that he is proud of the movies MPAA R-rating. Hardcore horror buffs probably won’t be overly impressed; it is very much a gateway horror movie to give the youngsters a glimpse into the twisted world of the horror movie.

Teenagers will lap this up, like they did Insidious, and there will be much talk at the mall about how scared they were. Seasoned fans of this genre won’t break a sweat at the jump scares, but they are very well executed, using exemplary camera trickery and outstanding sound. A unique twist is that some of the scares have been shot from the creatures’ point of view, something not many of us have experienced before.

Overall, Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark is a movie well worth seeing. Of course it isn’t perfect, and some of the pitfalls could have been avoided, but nevertheless a trip to the theater won’t disappoint, just expect to be showered with popcorn.