The Obsessive Viewer

Premise: Follows Orion, a young boy who is afraid of heights, pets, and rendered nearly catatonic by the worst of all perils: the dark. The Dark takes Orion on a nighttime trip to prove to the youngster that the only thing to fear is fear itself.

• Director: Sean Charmatz
• Writer: Charlie Kaufman (Based on the book by Emma Yarlett)
• Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks, Ike Barinholtz

The opening scene of Orion and the Dark is one of the clearest depictions of what it’s like to be a child riddled with anxiety and self-doubt. Narrated through 11 year-old Orion’s (Jacob Tremblay) inner monologue as he navigates a day at school rife with awkward encounters, we see firsthand how the fear of negative reactions and encounters robs Orion of his voice and individuality. It’s a strong demonstration of Orion’s anxiety, which is explored further throughout the film, but also serves as the setup to show us what Orion truly fears: the Dark.

Darkness is personified by Dark (Paul Walter Hauser), a spiritual entity who works the graveyard shift spreading darkness throughout the world while Light (Ike Barinholtz) is on his tail to start the day throughout the planet’s various timezones. If you think about this concept too hard, you run the risk of falling down a rabbit hole of concern for Dark and his companions/coworkers who bring to life various aspects of the night. For instance, if Dark and his friends are on a complete 24-hour cycle as they go around the world spreading darkness so people can sleep, technically their job would be an endless cycle.

But I digress.

The bottom line is that Dark spreads darkness upon the Earth every night on a set schedule and to assuage Orion’s fears (and to keep Orion’s nightly screaming in fear from disrupting Dark’s work) the entity takes the kid along with him to show him that things aren’t so scary. Along the way they meet a variety of supernatural entities based around concepts all related to nighttime. Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett) helps people dream in the night while Insomnia (Nat Faxon) helps prevent sleep from certain poor souls. Quiet (Aparna Nancherla) and Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel) round out the “night shift” of entities to create a solid cast of supporting characters.

What starts as a tale about anxiety and overcoming childhood fears quickly turns into a bizarre and whimsical journey that highlights the connections forged through creativity. One of the more out of the box elements of Orion and the Dark is in its narrative structure. Soon into the film, the story splits off into a separate story of Orion as an adult (Colin Hanks) telling the story to his daughter, Hypatia (Kia Akemi Brown). From there, a multigenerational storytelling journey emerges that, while overall satisfying and well realized, takes away from the mysticism and wonder associated with the film’s spiritual entities.

The story of Adult Orion and Hypatia’s storytelling adventure is where the film’s heart rests. By telling Hypatia about his adventure with Dark as a kid, Adult Orion is helping Hypatia confront her own fear of the dark. Yet, Hypatia is a very precocious child who’s able to poke holes in the logic of her father’s story. This makes the wondrous story of these personified elements of the night a little less wondrous and not as engaging past the movie’s first act.

What works in place of the supernatural conceptualization of nighttime entities is the familial bond of storytelling and the way open communication helps comfort those who fear what they can’t see or fully understand. At one point, Hypatia suggests they go for a walk as they work through breaking the story Adult Orion is telling. When they reach the park and see the lights are out, both father and daughter opt to detour through Time’s Square instead. Talking through this shared fear of the dark helps the pair bond more and resolve the issues they have with this fear.

The father and daughter storyline is filled with heartwarming and nuanced moments like this even as it erodes the whimsy and imagination of Orion’s adventure through the night with Dark. The film cuts back and forth between these timelines and the story of young Orion falls a bit by the wayside. The story of Orion’s adventure eventually transforms into a story about Dark’s own insecurities and sense of identity, which helps Orion confront his own anxieties in interesting ways. Dark’s story is played to big emotional moments that don’t land as strongly due to the overall structure of the movie as it contends with the greater father and daughter story above it. However, Paul Walter Hauser’s performance as Dark does help shepherd in the emotion whenever the story structure starts to fumble it.

Orion and the Dark brings the story home in a completely satisfying and heartfelt way that ties the disparate story threads together really well. While the mystical story of Dark and his companions gets shuffled aside unexpectedly at various points, the family story that comes to pass is told with a candor and an earnestness that makes Orion and the Dark stand out as a heartwarming family story.

Orion and the Dark premieres February 2 on Netflix.

About the Writer: Matt Hurt is the creator of ObsessiveViewer.com. He also created, hosts, and produces The Obsessive Viewer, Anthology, and Tower Junkies podcasts. He is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association.