Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

The horror, scary film genre is really not one of my favorites, but when I read that "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" was made in a sort of gothic style, it intrigued me enough to decide to view it, and I must say, it was better than I thought.

A young girl, Sally (Bailee Madison) is sent to live with her estranged father, Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes) at their new home. Alex has plans to redo the old home with the help of Kim who is an interior designer. The previous owner of the home, Blackwood (Garry McDonald) was a famous painter who mysteriously disappeared. Sally soon realizes that there are strange creatures in the basement and they want to claim her as their own. There is an obvious connection with these creatures and the disappearance of Blackwood. Can Alex, Kim and Sally squelch these creatures and unravel the deep secrets of this mansion?

Others to round the cast are Jack Thompson as Harris, the groundskeeper of the mansion, Julia Blake as Mrs. Underhill, the housekeeper, and Nicholas Bell as the psychiatrist.

This was directed by virtual newcomer Troy Nixey and the pacing of it certainly kept you on the edge of your seat. With more experience under his belt, he could become a more effective director. The film was written by Guillermo del Toro ("Pans Labyrinth") and Matthew Robbins based on a 1973 teleplay by Nigel McKeand. Certainly if it wasn't for del Toro, this movie would've been like all the rest of the horror films out there. However, I just wonder what kind of story del Toro could've come up with if he wrote an original story himself. This film had del Toro's 'dark' stamp on it, but I believe it could've been even darker if it came out of his mind solely. Food for thought I guess.

As aforementioned, this certainly was a better film than I thought it would be, but it still missed that edge and creepiness that Guillermo del Toro could only give us if he wasn't tied to story that the film was based on. But if you are the type who loves the gothic horror genre, you'll love this and be screaming for more.

Out of 4 stars: 2.5                     Rated: R                        99min.