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Film reviews

Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (Film)

by Katerina Sakkas | October 31, 2011 19:06 | Edited October 31, 2011 19:07

The atmosphere has been elaborately created but unfortunately the scares are not as effective.

It follows that this reworking of the similarly named ‘70s cult TV horror, directed this time around by comic book artist Troy Nixey and produced and co-written by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) is a gorgeous Baroque extravaganza. The work of the film's enormous visual effects crew has paid off in their realisation of a Victorian mansion full of elaborate detailing: gothic arches; intricately carved wooden screens; cavernous dark spaces. Del Toro replaces the downtrodden housewife at the centre of the original film with a child. Ten-year-old Sally (played with impressive solemnity by Bailee Madison) has been shunted off to live with her well-meaning but distracted father (Guy Pearce) and his new partner Kim (Katie Holmes) in the historic residence they are painstakingly restoring. The young girl's arrival unleashes a less benign aspect of the house which is eager to prey on her sense of isolation.

 

Holmes, Pearce and Madison are convincing in their depiction of this fractured family, and are ably supported by an impressive Australian cast which includes Jack Thompson, Julia Blake and Garry McDonald (though set on Rhode Island, the film was shot in Melbourne). Madison's performance feels real, but it's hard to share her fear of the malevolent goblins who torment her. A decision has been made to reveal these entities early on, and though beautifully rendered CGI, they're too twee to really chill an adult audience. Taking this into account, as well as its incorporation of fairytale elements, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is best viewed as a dark fantasy, almost in the vein of a children's film.