It usually takes something out of the ordinary for me to choose a family film to review. Generally, it’s some kind of interesting animation style or a particular voice actor. This time, it was because I saw that Charlie Kaufman, who wrote “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Adaptation,” was attached to Sean Charmatz’s “Orion and the Dark” streaming on Netflix. I knew I had to give it a watch. And I was not disappointed by that decision.
The movie follows Orion (Jacob Tremblay), who struggles with extreme anxiety. But as much as his anxiety exists during the day, it is amplified at night when he is surrounded by the dark. One night, The Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) finally responds, taking Orion on an adventure to discover why he doesn’t need to be afraid. Along the way he meets a cast of night characters like Sleep (Natasia Demetriou) and Sweet Dreams (Angela Bassett), as well as The Dark’s nemesis, Light (Ike Barinholtz).
The voice acting in this is lovely. Tremblay is fantastic, as always, and Hauser as the Dark reminds me again that he is a gifted performer who is way underused. I also very much enjoyed the animation, particularly the scenes where we get to see Orion’s notebook of fears brought to life. This film also does a great job of playing with color, both showing the monotony of perpetual dark or light, but also a vibrancy when comparing them to one another.
The movie succeeds not just in explaining Orion’s fears, but also why he has them. It also is a beautiful look at fitting in when you are an introvert or if you struggle with anxiety or overthinking. I think there are lots of people who will feel seen and represented by this film in a way that they aren’t usually.
The movie goes off the rails a little bit at the end, seemingly unsure how to resolve an issue that works for the story but not for the structure. It gets into a bit of a time loop issue that takes away from the larger points that the movie seems to be trying to make — about anxiety and fear and how these can be generational issues. I very much liked what it was trying to do, but found the execution clunky, and I wish it had been handled a little differently.
That said, I loved the way that “Orion and the Dark” addresses anxiety and fear with so much kindness. A lot of movies geared toward younger audiences can talk down to them, but this treats its audience with respect. If you’re looking for something to watch with your kids or just to enjoy some beautiful animation and a story about the need for quiet and dark in the middle of a loud, overwhelming world, I recommend this movie.
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. She reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
