I don’t want to say that Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a disappointment. It's a well made horror film. I must admit, however, that I expected more.
8-year-old Sally (Bailee Madison) moves into the big house her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) are renovating. Inside, she hears whispers coming from tiny critters who are after her.
I don’t really have much to criticize about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. The only thing would be that I wish the film had focussed more on Sally and given us the whole story from her point of view. I also think the monsters are revealed a bit too early. It's minor stuff but they affect the overall movie. It has some really frightening passages and some really tense sequences, but they’re mostly during the beginning of the film when you don’t know much about the monsters, and during the end when all hell breaks loose. The middle sags.
As I say this, I'm reminded of everything that works. Sally is a solid protagonist. She's vulnerable, even when against the tiny adversaries. Her being young and naive makes for some particularly tense moments during the first act. You know she's in a horror movie. She doesn’t. You like her and Bailee Madison is a good actress. This film earns its little-girl-in-peril sequences.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark could have easily been one of those movies where you like the little girl, she’s put into peril and stays in danger because the adults around her are idiots. It’s not the case here. Yeah her dad was a bit of a jerk at times, but I really sympathized with his girlfriend, Kim. There are some good moments of bonding between the two that make their relationship convincing. It makes all the difference in the world when the real danger came into play and the little creeps starting popping up. Speaking of monsters, these are some good ones. They’re small so they can creep around unseen, there’s an army of them so they do pose a threat to everyone. They sure are creepy with their tiny, glowing eyes and affinity for sharp objects.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark would have been just an average horror movie, but several elements are top-notch and they elevate it. One element noteworthy aspect is the art direction and set design. The film is almost entirely set in this beautiful house under renovation. It's spectacular while remaining just the right amount of creepy and mysterious. While I have to admit that I was a little let down by Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, it’s mostly because the beginning was so good it raised my expectations higher than they should've been. It’s a great little horror movie that’s creepy and effective, and it's rated PG-13, which is -in this case- a bonus. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is that much more accessible to those who will be affected by it. (On Blu-ray, October 20, 2014)
