I have a fantasy that in another universe, Troy Nixey's remake of the 1973 made-for-TV creature feature Don't Be Afraid of the Dark would have itself made its debut on TV, maybe a kids' cable network like Nickelodeon or Disney and it would have been the kind of movie that haunts kids until they're adults, one of those shared "remember how messed up that movie was" experiences that follows a generation. It would be shown as a double feature on Halloween night with the likes of Monster House, and would have an eternal spot on the rotation of autumnal horror for kids. Of course, my fantasy only works if some minor edits snip out a little bit of gore here and there, but at its core, that's what Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is: a glossy, modestly-budgeted horror movie for kids whose makers had the bad judgement to go more violent with the material than necessary, earning the movie an R-rating and guaranteeing that most people who saw it in theaters were die-hard, adult horror fans.
Now, for what it's worth, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark has its charms for older viewers as certainly as it would enthrall the younger ones. The look of the movie is terrific and Nixey stages a couple of very tense scenes where the movie's lead, Sally (Bailee Madison), is menaced by the light-fearing imps that plague the imposing Blackwood manor. But as it stands, the perspective is all wrong for an adult viewer: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is all about being a kid and being afraid and worse, being ignored by the adults around you, and it's about that very specific feeling of being told one last time that there's nothing under the bed or in the closet and that you need to go to sleep. As an adult, though, it's a little harder to connect with, but like I said, it's a very specific movie, and intentionally or not, it wasn't made for grownup viewers.
As for the story: after her parent's divorce, Sally is sent by her mother to live with her father, Alex (Guy Pearce), in a grand old mansion that he's restoring with his new girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes). Alex obviously loves his daughter, but is consumed with getting the house finished so that he can sell it while Kim wants to make friends with this smart, sad little girl who's clearly realized that her own mother has dumped her. Unable to connect with dad and unwilling to let Kim in, Sally explores the mansion and starts hearing voices, and believes that something strange but still friendly is living there. This feeling quickly changes as the creatures--gray, misshapen fairies, hyper-articulated versions of the imps from The Gate--move from friendship to fright, seeking to get her into darkness for some presumably unpleasant purpose. Again, this movie is custom-made to scare children, I believe.
Now those creatures: I've read some viewers and critics complaining that we see them too often, that they look fake, but personally, I like the spindly, grotesque design which the special features inform us if I recall correctly, between old men and animals, but you will definitely see them a lot throughout the film. Likewise, I've heard Katie Holmes taking some heat for her role here, but I thought her character was refreshing--patient, compassionate, and warm where Sally's father is excessively cold and distracted. And about Sally: Madison is obviously a smart and self-possessed little girl and that's maybe to the detriment of the role. She's obviously so wise beyond her years that on occasion, it's hard to believe that she wouldn't have been able to convince either her father or Sally of what was happening or even devised some way of ridding herself of the monsters.
Again, it speaks to the movie as a series of disconnects: a few elements here and there that don't quite jibe, making the overall experience not quite right. But parents out there with kids in the 8-10 range, the ones who like a good scare now and again: if you want to share a good horror experience with them and don't mind a little bit of gore, I think this would be a great bonding experience across generations, flaws and all.
Special Features, Audio, and Video
You can't fault the movie for being gorgeously shot and reproduced here in 1080p, you'll have the pleasure of taking in the shifting visual palette by cinematographer Oliver Stapleton. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD audio is pretty rich, allowing you to hear every sigh and whisper of Sally's new friends.
The Special Features included are a trio of making of's that total about 20 minutes, giving some background on why the material drew producer and co-writer Guillermo del Toro who obviously has a passion for the original. I'm not a huge fan of the cover art, whose central image of Sally being menaced from the shadows is quite nice but the overall effect is ruined by the huge title font at the center of the page (this worked a bit better for the poster which had nearly a third more space to work with).