It was a (almost dark) and (threatening to be) stormy (evening), need there be any other excuse to go see the latest film presented by acclaimed director Guillermo de Toro?
I thought not.
There is a power that draws me, like a moth to the flame, to films with scary old houses, children, and things that go bump in the night. When a film can combine those elements with the requisite thunder storms and power outages and menacing threats that tell the houses’ inhabitants that they should run like hell lest they become the latest victims, the part of me that wants to be deliciously scared stands up and takes notice.
And once in a while this type of film will have that something special, that spark of All Hallows magic, that will propel it to that cherished status wherein it becomes a film that I want to watch time and again when the days shorten and the nights grow long and chill. Films like The Others, El Ofranato (The Orphanage), and Pan’s Labyrinth have attained that station in our home.
I was hoping for a similar connection with Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Did it have that spark?
Well, not quite.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is in many ways a very enjoyable addition to the long line of haunted house films. With one major (and one minor) exception it is a throw back to the type of horror film that relies on menace and a slow-building terror for its scares rather than the gratuitous violence of many of the scary offerings of the last few decades. The location filming and set design have created a house and its surroundings that practically cry out to be haunted and the cast does a fine job with acting doubtful and then believing by varying degrees as the nightmare plays out before them.
It was a good film, worth viewing if you watch the trailer and with a slight shiver think, “Oooo, I want to see that“. I would even go so far as saying that it is a very good film. It misses being a great film because of the lack of the aforementioned spark which I expected from a screenplay co-written by Guilermo del Toro. Given del Toro’s affection for the 1973 made-for-tv film, which is reportedly one of the the major influences on his desire from a young age to make fantastical films, it is not unreasonable to expect that Guilermo del Toro would have brought with him the creative juices that spawned critically acclaimed films like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth.
I won’t discuss the plot beyond what is seen in the trailer because that would taint the experience of those who want to see the film for themselves. Suffice it to say we have two parental figures, one of each sex, and a young child who find themselves in a house inhabited by something, or somethings, that do not wish them well. Bad things happen.
Guy Pierce plays the father and Katie Holmes the girlfriend and they do an admirable job with what they are given. They were believable, looked good together and inhabited their respective roles very well. At times the script calls for them to fill the distracted and doubting parental roles that seem to be the cookie-cutter staple in the majority of horror films. Young Bailee Madison, who is called upon to carry the majority of the film, does a nice job with her role as well. She is a troubled child who never resorts to being a bratty child and as the viewer it is easy to identify with her plight and root for her from the very start. Added to the film’s small cast are a gardener and house keeper who are frankly underutilized.
The setting for the film was the biggest and most stunning star of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Near the beginning we see that the yard surrounding this stunning mansion is filled with envy-inspiring landscaping including the most enormous, gorgeous and potentially sinister tree you could ever imagine. The tree motif is continued in the stain glass front door and in the wood work within the house, including that of a door that screams for you not to open it and yet inspires the kind of curiosity that makes resistance impossible. The house is surrounded by winding paths through well kept gardens that house secret nooks and crannies everywhere. The sets and the way in which director Troy Nixey filmed Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark create atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is the look and feel of the movie that keep it a cut above standard horror fair.
Where Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark disappoints is in its missed opportunities, and I blame that entirely on the screenplay. The movie clocks in at an hour and 40 minutes. It would have been much better served by an additional twenty minutes in which to more slowly build the terror and to utilize the film’s strong points–the house and its gardens–to more effect. The later were particularly underutilized, especially given the apparent effort that went in to creating something so beautiful and at the same time eerie. The film opens with a flashback to the man who built the house, a nature artist of great renown, whose work is a focal point, although not nearly enough. That opening scene is the one that is far too gratuitous and starts the film out on the wrong note, partially because of the violence and partially because the scene tells the audience much more information than I believe they should have at the start of the film. The story would have been more suspenseful with less introductory knowledge and also some restraint in when and how much the “bad things” were shown on screen. This is a case where Guilermo del Toro’s love for monsters should have been scaled back a bit, giving the audience as well as the characters on screen more time to fret and wonder.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark was fun and does afford plenty of thrills and chills for the autumn movie-going audience. It is filmed with skill and creativity and the set design folks deserve an Oscar nod when the awards season comes around. It misses being a perennial favorite by a weak script from a writer/director not known for weak scripts. It would be easy to place the blame on del Toro’s co-writer, but I place the blame at the feet of the man who’s name is attached in order to bring in the paying audience. There is a lot of good stuff here, and with a little more creative input from a man not short on creativity, the film could have been an instant classic in the genre.
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This film is a selection for the Peril on the Screen portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site.
I will echo Carl’s thoughts. Wonderful set, good actors, creepy music and excellent CGI of the “villians”. The problem is the script is not orginal. I kept expecting Del Toro to give me a new twist on an old and familiar tale and he never did. The film was enjoyable none the less but it could have been so much more.
I do know I will never forget the wondeful trees in this movie. It was worth seeing for them alone.
I will add besides the opeing scene it was nice to watch a horror film that tried to build on suspense more than gore. Too many of today’s horror films are just gorefest’s. At least this film did not go down that path.
“I kept expecting Del Toro to give me a new twist on an old and familiar tale and he never did.”
Exactly. You put that much better than I did.
I am lusting so hard after that yard, trees, gardens and all. In one scene there are fallen leaves blowing all over the place and I leaned over and said to Jeff, “see, they aren’t bothering to clean up their leaves” or something to that affect. Referencing of course the upcoming mulching that I will have to do as the leaves start their annual suicidal leaping.
The cgi of the creatures was excellent, just wish it would have taken longer to see them. Dang creepy buggers!
And I neglected to mention the houses’ library! Wow!!!
” suicidal leaping ” I love that description of falling leaves.
Yes. The library was incredible and one us book lovers all dream about having one day.
The most horrifying part of the movie for book lovers was when some of the books were damaged during a particular action filled scene!!!
I nearly swooned. 🙂
Not my cuppa, neither were the other films you mention early in your review. Glad you enjoyed it though. Meanwhile, read any good mysteries lately?
Carl and I are both reading Storm Front right now from Jim Butcher and it’s a supernatural mystery. Have you ever read any of The Dresden Files series?
Nope, though I have the first one, shelved with SF-F, not mystery, because the word supernatural puts it there. I guess I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to mystery fiction. I’ve read mixed reviews of the Dresden books, most everyone likes the first in the series, but as the series goes on it seems to become less popular.
Just the Aurelio Zen one I reviewed a few days back. And I’m enjoying Storm Front which is of course mystery and police procedural/hard-boiled detective fiction and urban fantasy all rolled into one.
I’ve got Donna Leon waiting for me at the library and the Chandler on my pile.
I can understand you putting it with SF-F. I would disagree with what I have heard from people about the series. The people I’ve talked to and read online actually say the beginning books are good but after the third one the series really takes off and just gets better and better. I think it goes along with most authors as they get better at there craft with more experience. Storm Front was just Butcher’s first published book. He sounds to me a lot like Brandon Sanderson were many people really like there first books but then they really take off as they get more experienced with there craft. Anyway it’s just what I’ve heard. I might imagine that Butcher’s mystery writing is probably not close to the upper tier authors of that genre though that you love.
I would say Butcher’s strengths lie more in the action and charactization more so than the mystery aspect.
Oh, I did want to see this. Good cheesy creepy fun.
It is good creep fun. Not sure if it fits in the cheesy category, but I suppose that depends on how seriously you take it. 🙂
I’ll have to check this one out. Too bad it isn’t perfect, but I think I’ll enjoy it. Would you say Pan’s Labyrinth is a good movie for R.I.P.? I own it but haven’t seen it yet (the fate of many movies in my cupboard, I’m sorry to say).
I think Pan’s Labyrinth is great for R.I.P. even though it is more rooted in fantasy. It has the darker, heavier vibe and some definitely scary creatures. It you haven’t seen it, you really need to watch it. It is quite the achievement.
Good! I’ll try to watch that in the next few weeks. It is something I’ve meant to see for quite awhile. There are just so many movies and books!
Can’t wait to see what you think of Pan’s Labyrinth.
Too bad it was a bit dissapointing. I have been wanting to watch this one, I’m a chicken so the trailer alone scares me…lol.
Your review is wonderful, it should be published somewhere.
Thanks bookworm, here is a happy enough place for me to have this review. 🙂
I’m sure a big part of the disappointment is that I wanted the movie to be more than the film makers wanted it to be. It is worth checking out if you have a mind too. I wouldn’t have wanted to pay full price for it, but I saw it at matinee prices for $5 and I got my money out of it.
Seriously . . . this:
“There is a power that draws me, like a moth to the flame, to films with scary old houses, children, and things that go bump in the night. When a film can combine those elements with the requisite thunder storms and power outages and menacing threats that tell the houses’ inhabitants that they should run like hell lest they become the latest victims, the part of me that wants to be deliciously scared stands up and takes notice.”
is so ME! I heart spookiness!
I’m glad I could touch a cord. We are kindred spirits indeed if you feel that way. I know there is no way I’m going to get to all the spooky films I want to watch this season, but I’m going to do my best! 🙂
wonderful review.
may have to watch this for the setting alone…and Guy Pearce.
L: Ha! I was thinking the same thing about Katie Holmes when I saw the trailer for the first time and realized she was in it. Pearce does a really good job.
As I told you awhile back, I enjoyed this one, but for build up and fright factor, I still liked Insidious better. It was very atmospheric though. I still couldn’t help remembering the original movie, which I think was a television movie. I saw it when I was about 5 or 6 (yeah, long time scary movie fan here) and it scared the crap out of me. We rented it about 10-12 years ago because I wanted to see if it would still scare me and yes, it did! That was what I was missing in the new version…that fear factor. Funny that a low budget TV movie could be more scary to me, even now. One thing I did like about the new one though was the back story. I like a good back story. 🙂
I still have to post my thoughts on this one and I saw Straw Dogs last weekend. What a movie! Also, Contagion is what I would consider a horror movie because the things that could really happen are what really scare me! I also watched Quarantine 2. Pretty good, but not as good as the first one.
Yes, they didn’t do as much for build up in this version, they went far too quickly into showing what everything was all about and I think that killed the suspense that could have been built up throughout the film.
I don’t recall seeing the TV version, but sometimes those older tv versions are scarier just because of their age. Especially the 70’s. There is just something extra creepy about 70’s films to me.
Great review, Carl. I’ll add it to the Q, even though it wasn’t great. I absolutely loved Devil’s Backbone and The Others. Fantastic films! I still haven’t seen The Orphanage, so that’s bumping up in the placement, especially given this month’s holiday! Here are the movies I’m looking forward to in a couple weeks:
Insidious
Let Me In
House of the Devil
and now, The Orphanage
The Orphanage is great. This movie is fair and certainly worth seeing, but I would put The Orphanage in a class above it.
Have you seen trailers for the movie The Awakening that comes out in November? Tres creepy!
Huh, never heard of Awakening (except that old DeNiro/Williams classic drama!), but I’ll check it out.