Cook review: ‘Orion and the Dark’ sheds light on facing your fears
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From the very beginning, I knew I would enjoy this clever, whimsical movie. The main character, Orion, appears on the moon in the DreamWorks Animation logo, and draws a light switch so he can illuminate the background.
You know immediately you’re in for clever entertainment in “Orion and the Dark.”
The screenwriter was Charlie Kaufman, well-known to moviegoers for films such as “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich.” Although this is certainly a good film for families, it retains that edge for which those movies are famous.
Jacob Tremblay (“Room”) is the voice for central character Orion, an 11-year-old boy full of fear and “what ifs” about the world around him – everything from the bully who calls him “Cryin’ Orion” to the possibility of falling from a skyscraper.
Most of all, Orion is afraid of the dark.
One night, his parents (Carla Gugino and Matt Dellapina) try to ease Orion’s fears. It’s about that time he meets Dark (Paul Walter Hauser, “Cruella,”) who tries to explain to him just how important the dark is to the world.
Orion goes on Dark’s nightly journey with him, and meets Dark’s colleagues including the adorable Quiet (Aparna Nancherla) and Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett.)
The movie turns out to be a story within a story – it wouldn’t be sporting to tell you how this comes about – that’s a very Kaufman-esque development.
Orion’s fears are the same, or similar, to what a lot of kids face, so younger viewers will relate easily to his plight. Grownups are likely to hearken back to the days when they learned to face their everyday fears.
The characters are smart, and so is this screenplay that beautifully captures the anxieties of childhood. But you don’t need to be a child to enjoy it.
3 ½ stars
Rated: PG, with some scary scenes and mildly coarse language.
Running time: One hour and 33 minutes.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming on Netflix.
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