Orion and the Dark Review

Summary

• Superb storytelling teaches children to cope with fears and handle existential crises intelligently.
• Fantastic CGI and 2D animation bring the imaginative adventure to life, captivating young viewers.
• Complex themes foster intellectual growth, making it more than just brainless entertainment.

A nervous elementary school kid scared of literally everything learns to cope with his fears after a truly magical night. Orion and the Dark teaches children an astonishingly creative lesson on handling existential crises. The brilliant screenwriter Charlie Kaufman adapts Emma Yarlett’s superb storytelling and illustrations into a soaring, imaginative adventure. Youngsters will be dazzled by incredible animation and a narrative that doesn’t spoon-feed brainless drivel. The film expresses complex themes in a way that nurtures intellectual growth.

Orion (Jacob Tremblay) walks through the schoolyard, carefully assessing what could possibly go wrong. There’s danger that exists everywhere. Simply getting to the lunch table is a tricky endeavor. Although it would be nice to have friends to eat with. Chomping a tuna sandwich alone gets pretty lonely. There’s the cute Sally sitting under a tree by herself. OMG…is she looking at me? Orion races back to class, leaving her utterly bewildered.

The day worsens when Orion’s teacher asks for his signed field trip permission form. The thought of riding the school bus is terrifying. Even if going gives him a chance to actually sit and talk with Sally. He slogs home with continued irrational fear. What if his parents are gone? He’d have to raise himself alone in a cruel world.

Orion’s parents haven’t flown the coop. Later that night, Mom (Carla Gugino) and Dad (Matt Dellapina) lovingly tuck him into bed. He can be a big boy and sleep by himself. But Orion’s biggest fear is darkness. His parents leave multiple nightlights and the bedroom door open, but that can’t be enough. Who knows what creatures lurk in the closet at night?

Jacob Tremblay as Orion

Orion and the Dark

4 /5

Release Date February 2, 2024

Director Sean Charmatz

Studio DreamWorks Animation, Mikros Animation

Runtime 1hr 30min

Pros

• Superb storytelling
• Complex themes that nurture intellectual growth
• Fantastic CGI and 2D animation

Orion screams like a wounded hyena. A black mist coalesces into a rounded shape in front of his bed. The Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) has finally had enough. Orion’s the most problematic kid he’s ever encountered. His constant screaming and fidgeting at night has made the Dark’s job insufferable. He promises to show Orion that darkness isn’t a bad thing, and maybe by facing his biggest fear, everything else will also be less frightening.

Kaufman, the genius writer of Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things, initially uses voiceover narration to sow the deep seeds of Orion’s tremendous self-doubt. He’s keenly aware of his own frailties, documenting them in a sketchbook of hilarious paranoid delusions. These first-act scenes establish Orion’s capacity for abstract thought. He’s able to analyze situations from alternate points of view. Orion realizes the odds of something bad happening are slim, but even a minor possibility is still worrisome.

The Dark’s effort to influence Orion comes from his own frustration. He’s tired of being hated, feared, and wholly misunderstood for doing an essential job. The Dark and other Night Entities have been taken for granted and unfairly vilified. They’re not evil monsters. He introduces Orion to the ethereal Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett), the always groggy Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), stern Insomnia (Nat Faxon), mischievous Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), and mousy Quiet (Aparna Nancherla). They’re all tired of Orion’s fretful countenance, but any hopes of easily allaying his fears are dashed with clever retorts. Orion isn’t a pushover. His cynical nature proves to be a harder impediment than expected.

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The Night Entities

Director Sean Charmatz, a veteran storyboard artist, is sublime in his feature debut. Yarlett’s drawings serve as an inspiration, not a guide. The film looks markedly different but still captures her intent. The Dark has a hood similar to Death’s widely accepted depiction but has large, warm eyes and an affable voice that soothes instead of menaces. He wants to be friendly and accepted as benevolent. Orion rides on the Dark’s shoulder as he pulls nighttime like a zipper around the world. These scenes and their level of artistry are incredible. The breathtaking scope of the Dark’s influence is taken for granted. Light (Ike Barinholtz) gets all the credit and glory for sustaining life.

Charmatz continually blends and inserts varied unique animation styles as the film progresses. The general storyline is CGI, with characters and settings that aren’t overly detailed. Orion’s 2D sketchbook is practical and less polished, like artwork from a talented student who’s getting better at expressing himself. The second act transitions to more intricate animation as the fantasy aspects take hold. Journeys into the subconscious with the Night Entities allow Orion to see the value of their work. He takes steps towards self-improvement but also affects the delicate balance between them. Kaufman strikes again with razor-sharp dialogue as the team hits bumpy roads on their quest.

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Orion and the Dark does not follow an obvious path. The extraordinary plot offers big surprises that reshape intriguing characters. It gets heady, to say the least, but that’s a good tenet to be praised. A scene of Orion reasoning between darkness and nothingness is marvelous to behold. Charmatz and Kaufman aren’t afraid of provocative sophistication. Kids will wear their thinking caps on a spectacular journey to gaining confidence. A production of DreamWorks Animation, Orion and the Dark premieres exclusively on Feb. 2 on Netflix.

Stream on Netflix

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