Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Film Review

Review by Eric Goldman on http://movies.ign.com/articles/119/1190564p1.html



Don't Be Afraid of the Dark feels old fashioned, in a mostly comforting way. In this remake of the 1973 TV movie, Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes star as Alex and Kim, a couple living in a large, old, suitably movie-spooky home Alex is restoring, when his young daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) comes to live with them.



Having been basically abandoned by her mother and in unfamiliar surroundings, Sally is somewhat of a handful but becomes fascinated when she hears some odd noises emanating from the large, previously hidden basement she helped discover. Those noises turn out to be caused by small creatures living inside the house, who have been there for ages and who seem to want to be Sally's friend… but this is a horror movie, so you can guess how trustworthy they are.



While he didn't direct it, the fact that this movie has Guillermo del Toro's imprint upon it (del Toro produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Robbins) is obvious. It feels right in del Toro's wheelhouse, with a lot of those oddly lovely, macabre images he is a master of, and there are certainly some echoes of Pan's Labyrinth as we watch this little girl sneak off and encounter something bizarre and dangerous - though Don't be Afraid of the Dark has far more modest aspirations than the fantastic Pan's Labyrinth did. The creatures, who are eventually fully revealed, are pretty fascinating creations, whose small size and speed make them pretty damn creepy.



Director Troy Nixey does good work with the material, conveying the right mixture of exploration and dread, as Sally finds out more and more about what nasty little buggers these creatures are. While its source material is older, it's hard not to think of Gremlins at least a bit, watching these little guys scamper about, occasionally speaking in hissing words – and noting that they are not fans of bright light. And while the movie isn't incredibly scary, it has its moments as you certainly feel anxious for this little girl and all the peril she is in.



The oft-mocked Holmes does a solid job as Kim, who has no previous relationship with Sally, but truly is doing her best to connect with the girl – and eventually to help protect her. But while I'm a big fan of Pearce's, he's wasted here in a bit of a thankless role, as Alex is written to be the frustrating horror movie character who scoffs at numerous warnings and signs about what is going on a few too many times to not get fed up with.



But this movie rests on Madison's small shoulders and she acquits herself amazingly well, giving a poised, believable performance as a little girl going from sullen to curious to terrified by what she encounters in that house. She and Holmes form a nice rapport, and I was amused to discover in the opening scenes that they were not playing mother and daughter, as they actually resemble one another and the trailers had me thinking what a good job they did finding a kid who we could buy as Holmes' daughter.



Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is looking to recapture a kind of horror movie we don't see a lot of anymore. In an era of Saw and Final Destination sequels, it's mainly going for much more low key shocks and jolts and is all about the mood and atmosphere in that house – though yes, those creatures do attack as well. For the most part, it succeeds in this arena, with Nixey giving the movie a nice out of time vibe that makes it feel like the film could be set in basically any year in the past several decades.



It doesn't all work though, as there are some scenes that cross the line to goofy a bit – one person gets hurt by the creatures in a way that would be impossible to just quickly dismiss, yet Alex (and others) still seem to act like nothing out of the ordinary is happening. And the ending is a bit too subdued and vague for its own good. I like the idea of the final moments of the film more than its execution. The film gets the job done, but could have used a rewrite or two to really amp up the story of these creatures and how Sally might be able to stop them.



All in all though, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark feels like you're sitting down with Guillermo del Toro as he tells you a haunted house story. And maybe it's not one of his very best haunted house stories, but it's del Toro, so it's still entertaining.