‘Orion And The Dark’ Review – An Animated Film With Positive Messaging

A review by Roger Ebert ran through my mind while watching the new Netflix animated film Orion and the Dark. Ebert gave his assessment of the Martin Scorsese film Cape Fear. This was a remake of a movie he loved as a teenager, starring the great Robert Mitchum. Paraphrasing, while he enjoyed the genre film, he said he held Mr. Scorsese in such high regard that he couldn’t help but be disappointed.

That thought ran through my head after Netflix asked if I wanted to skip the ending credits. Orion and the Dark is an adaptation of a book by Emma Yarlett, directed by Sean Charmatz (Trolls Holiday in Harmony). However, the script is from acclaimed writer and filmmaker Charlie Kaufman, the genius behind the films Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

That’s because Orion and the Dark is fine. It is a cute, sometimes funny, animated film with overtly positive messaging for kids. This should be held in high regard, if not appreciated, on its own. However, should a man like Kaufman be doing family-friendly fare when he has much to say and put out into the world? The simple answer is yes. Like David Lowery’s directing last year, Peter Pan & Wendy (along with Pete’s Dragon), there’s nothing wrong with making something family-friendly while teaching kids there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Orion and the Dark has a lovely narrative structure that has the viewer mildly guessing if the narrator can be trusted. Adult Orion (The Good Guys’s Colin Hanks) tells his daughter a bedtime story of how he was scared of the dark when he was a kid. The film begins with Orion as a child (Jacob Tremblay) who is so scared of going to bed that he needs the door open all the way. Not to mention the hallway light on, a half dozen night lights, and considering today’s day and age, I’m sure an Auro Ring is in the background.

What transpires next is a shameless rip-off of Pixar films. Orion meets Dark (Queenpins‘ Paul Walter Hauser), a giant, smiling creature who only comes out at night. Dark takes Orion under his wing and makes him put down his copy of David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. Dark, along with his friends, helps the young lad face his fears. Those include Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), Insomnia (Nat Faxon), Quiet (Aparna Nancherla), and Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett).

This is similar to any family film. Orion takes a field trip to conquer his fears while also teaching the gang about life. They envy Light (Ike Barinholtz), a being everyone loves and hates Dark. Think of this as The Boys, where Light is Homelander and Dark is Billy Butcher (without the bloodshed). The positive messaging of acceptance and societal norms is a pleasant example of films’ power in teaching kids (and ignorant adults) alike about equality.

The influences are apparent; this is Monsters, Inc. meets Inside Out, which comes from the source material. Not having read it, we can’t be sure. However, that doesn’t mean we should dismiss Orion and the Dark. Just because The Matrix was created doesn’t mean we should ignore Dark City. Nor should we throw out Mona Lisa Smile because Peter Weir made Dead Poet’s Society. The important part is, beyond the similarities, whether this film is good or not.

Yes, Charmatz and Kaufman could not have made Orion and the Dark without Pixar classics. However, the important thing is that Charmatz and Kaufman’s film works independently. The supporting cast is lively and amusing, with Hauser bringing heart to his perfect comic delivery. The script gives the viewer a gift of sorts. This allows them to decide on the journey these characters take. The ideas may be cluttered, but a wonderous plethora of ideas land more than a miss. This is healthy cinematic comfort food for those who need it.

Orion and the Dark is currently available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHnNOAQwqA0]