Can a child's fear of the dark be cured by befriending the night itself?
In short: Orion is an 11-year-old paralyzed by irrational anxieties, including a deep dread of the dark. When the embodiment of his fear visits his bedroom, he is whisked away on a journey to discover the necessity of nighttime. It is a story about confronting existential dread through the power of imagination.
Released on Netflix in February 2024, Orion and the Dark is an animated fantasy comedy directed by Sean Charmatz and written by Charlie Kaufman. Based on the 2014 children's book by Emma Yarlett, the film follows Orion, an anxious boy who journals his fears, as he encounters Dark, the literal personification of his greatest terror. Dark takes Orion on a journey to meet other night entities, such as Sleep, Insomnia, and Sweet Dreams, aiming to show him the essential role darkness plays in the natural balance of the world.
The narrative is framed as a story told by an adult Orion to his daughter, Hypatia. As the plot unfolds, the boundaries between the story and reality blur. When Orion inadvertently insults Dark by preferring the safety of Light, the night entities abandon their duties, leading to chaotic, endless daylight. The film explores complex themes, including the necessity of fear and the existential importance of the night, which critics have praised for its ambition. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 92% positive rating from 76 critics, who noted the screenplay's willingness to engage with profound existential ideas.
The animation was produced by DreamWorks Animation and provided by Mikros Animation across facilities in Paris and Bangalore. The project features a voice cast including Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser, with a musical score composed by Robert Lydecker and Kevin Lax. The film's resolution involves Hypatia taking over the storytelling to help her father, ultimately revealing that the tale is a generational cycle passed down to her own son, Tycho. By the end, the film circles back to the original moment of Orion's childhood, suggesting that accepting one's fears is the only way to restore order.
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