Metacritic reviews

Brave the Dark is a low-key inspirational indie that sensitively elicits empathy and sympathy without ever pushing too hard or simplifying complexities.

Harris, as always, imbues his characters with a wearied conviction, which goes a long way towards making Stan feel a bit more layered than the feel-good Ned Flanders type the script saddles him with.

Fortunately, Brave the Dark does deliver an engaging and enjoyable narrative, with excellent performances, an intriguing and compelling plot, and an important message worth listening to.

The film is a loving tribute from a son to a father figure, but perhaps Deen is too close to the story to have much perspective on it. We’ve seen this story before and Brave the Dark doesn’t shed new light.

It’s a low-stakes, dramatically flat affair, a picture that never plucks the heartstrings it’s meant to.