Movie Review: 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark'

 “Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark”
Directed by: Troy Nixey
Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Garry McDonald, Edwina Ritchard, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake, Nicholas Bell

I don't make a lot of lists of favorite things. “Catch-22” is my favorite book, but I'm unable to name my favorite song, record, food, TV show or movie.

When it comes to scary movies, I made a shortlist long ago. At the top is “The Exorcist.” Second is Roman Polanski's “The Tenant.” “Night of the Living Dead” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” rank high as well.

Now, I'm adding Troy Nixey's “Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark,” which is based on a 1973 TV movie of the same name.  

It's creepy, and it startled me more than a few times.

The opening scene - which involves a man smashing and pulling out teeth  (many of them his own) and hiding them in his basement - grabbed me immediately. Teeth are always scary for some reason.

My wife and movie companion of 34 years, Terry Cone, has been known to scream, jolt and jump out of her seat, and she did more times during this movie than she has in a long while.

Outside of the teeth scene and a few others, there is very little gore involved. As movie fans know, it's what you don't see, but what is merely implied, that produces the biggest goosebumps.

There are “monsters” here - done with excellent special effects - but they aren't really up close all too often. Director  Troy Nixey and producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro are a pair who have obviously grown up being scared stiff by the classics of the genre and learned a lesson from Ridley Scott's “Alien.” Scott didn't show the monster very much. When it was seen, it was all the more terrifying.

Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce are the big stars on the bill, but it's 9-year-old  Bailee Madison who steals the show.
 
Madison plays Sally. Her parents are recently divorced, and Sally's mom sends her to live with her dad, who makes his living by purchasing old homes, renovating them and flipping them for a profit. His latest project is a beautiful, old and appropriately spooky mansion in a quiet village in Rhode Island. Also living there is dad's new girlfriend, Kim.

The place comes with a caretaker named Harris.  His history adds a lot to the creepy factor. The early flashback scenes do so as well.

Sally is obviously unhappy. Most of the adults in her life think she's having emotional trauma because of the divorce, so they discount the reports Sally gives about hearing voices coming out of the grate in the basement. When she claims that she's being harassed by violent little creatures with gnashing teeth, the adults fear for her sanity. The pictures she draws of the demons only cause more concern.

Those watching the film - and Sally - are the only ones who know the truth. Eventually, the other characters start to take her at her word.

And things get hectic in the third act.

I remember when “The Blair Witch Project” came along and the hype touted it as the “scariest film since 'The Exorcist.'” I was excited. When I saw it, I was completely disappointed. I thought it was annoying at best and laughable at worst. I'll give them credit for the marketing campaign, though. It was a pack of lies – albeit brilliant - and was made for next to nothing.

So, I had my doubts about “Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark.” They were thankfully unfounded.

Del Toro, who also made “Pan's Labyrinth” (another interesting and visually stunning movie) has done well with his second feature film.

If I did make lists, I'm sure “Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark” would end up as one of 2011's best films.[[In-content Ad]]