Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend believes that she has released creatures from a sealed ash pit in the basement of her new home.

Director:

Troy Nixey

Writers:

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

Stars:

Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison

4 nominations.

Cast

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

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:

mansion | basement | interior designer | fear | imp | 

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Taglines:

Don't listen to them. Don't turn off the light. Don't let them out.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and terror

Did You Know?

Trivia

The runes carved into the stone over the furnace that the creatures live down spells out "Be Afraid" in Elder Futhark.

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Goofs

Kim ends up tangled in the ropes of the fairies and dragged down into the basement. This tragedy is a loose end. No police report is filed, no other characters are shown to react to this and the aftermath of this event is never built up on. This is because the creatures must take one life to replenish their numbers each time they come out. In the original movie, Kim is their target, to make her one of their own. The taking of Kim at the end of the movie and her speaking later on with the creatures implies that she was turned into one of them and is no longer human. This is idea is further encouraged by one of the creatures who seems to hold a resemblance to Blackwell who was also taken along with his son.

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Quotes

Sally: They don't like bright lights, you know, those things.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.199 (2011)

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Soundtracks

When You and I Were Young, Maggie
Written and Performed by John McCormack
Courtesy of Bluebird/Novus/RCA Victor
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

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")

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Australia Mexico

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Filming Locations:

Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,525,728, 28 August 2011

Gross USA:

$24,046,682

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$38,269,529

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, FilmDistrict, Necropia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1