Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.

Director:

Troy Nixey

Writers:

Guillermo del Toro (screenplay), Matthew Robbins (screenplay),

Stars:

Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katie Holmes	...	Kim
Guy Pearce	...	Alex
Bailee Madison	...	Sally
Jack Thompson	...	Harris
Garry McDonald	...	Emerson Blackwood
Alan Dale	...	Charles Jacoby
Julia Blake	...	Mrs. Underhill
Bruce Gleeson	...	Buggy Driver
Eddie Ritchard	...	Housekeeper (as Edwina Ritchard)
Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen	...	Airport Cart Driver
David Tocci	...	Workman
Lance Drisdale	...	Policeman
Nicholas Bell	...	Psychiatrist
Libby Gott	...	Nurse
James Mackay	...	Librarian

Storyline

A young girl is sent to live with her estranged father and his girlfriend at their new home. The father, Alex has plans to spruce up the home with the help of his interior decorator girlfriend, Kim. The previous owner of the home was a famous painter who mysteriously disappeared. Alex's daughter, Sally, soon discovers the cause of the painter's disappearance.

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Plot Keywords:

basement | mansion | interior designer | creature | disappearance | 

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and terror

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Australia Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

No temas a la oscuridad

Filming Locations:

Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,525,728 (USA) (26 August 2011)

Gross:

$24,042,490 (USA) (11 November 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films, FilmDistrict, Necropia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Sally was Alex's wife, not daughter, while in this version a woman named Kim is his wife. In the original Sally, Alex's wife, was played by an actress named Kim - Kim Darby.

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Goofs

The movie often offers close-ups of the BMW's "Rhode Island" license plate, but the numbers are red, like Massachusetts license plates. For over 15 years Rhode Island licenses plates have had blue lettering with a blue background featuring a wave graphic.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.192 (2011)

User Reviews

A Lame Screenplay, Despite the Participation of Guillermo del Toro

In Rhode Island, the interior designers Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) welcome Alex's nine year daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) that was sent by her mother to live with Alex. The couple brings Sally to the manor of the painter Emerson Blackwood (Garry McDonald), who had disappeared with his son many years ago, and Alex has invested all his money in the mansion expecting to be promoted in his business with the restoration of the house.

Sally rejects Kim and feels lonely in the mansion and while walking on the real estate, she finds that the manor has a hidden basement. Alex's employee William Harris (Jack Thompson), who is a descendant of Blackwood, warns Sally to never go to the basement but the girl overhears voices in the ash pit calling her. However Sally brings a wrench and removes the bolts of the ash pit cover. Sooner Sally finds that evil creatures that fear the light have escaped from the underground through the ash pit and are threatening her. However, Alex and Kim believe that it is only her imagination.

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is a remake of a 1973 film that I have never seen. The cinematography and the performance of the girl Bailee Madison are great. Unfortunately the lame screenplay has many plot holes and, for example, the disappearance of Kim and the weird events that the guests have witnessed have no consequence in the end of the story.

The DVD has interviews and behind stage footages and it is visible the interference of Guillermo del Toro in the direction. Unfortunately his participation is not enough to save this film. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Não Tenha Medo do Escuro" ("Don't Be Afraid of the Dark")