User Reviews

Orion and the Dark is a surprisingly heavy and layered animated film until you see who has a screenplay credit and then it all makes sense. What starts off as a film about how every aspect of life can be scary quickly morphs into something that celebrates the unpredictability of it whilst exploring how balance is essential.

Jacob Tremblay is almost too good at portraying Orion's fear of everything early on but that actually makes his newfound love of adventure all the more enjoyable. Paul Walter Hauser makes Dark so loveable, turning a concept that's scary to so many into a gentle giant with his own fears and doubts.

Sean Charmatz's direction keeps things moving and manages to find an animation style that feels fairly original and more importantly, really nice to look at. In a perfectly fitting fashion, its greatest moments of visual beauty come from the scenes at night, which is essentially the majority of the film.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect with this movie since it is made by Dreamworks but also written by Charlie Kaufman who has made some of my favorite films of all time. With an interesting concept, the movie surprisingly was pretty ambitious and interesting then the typical Dreamworks Animation movie.

I do appreciate the writing where it creates interesting themes and ideas together which worked pretty well. I found the narrative, while having some faults with certain aspects, remaining strong with some good dialogue, themes, and tone. The voice performances were pretty solid with some good deliveries and style. The animation is pretty solid with some good colors and models. Although it does feel a bit cheap then the usual Dreamworks Animation movie which is understandable due to the low budget.

The characters are interesting but I felt as the side characters were a little messy on certain aspects of development. Including the third act to be a little rushed. Here, Kaufman's writing isn't his best work but he still provides some interesting ideas and I do applaud him and Dreamworks on taking some unusual directions and shifts here. But I won't be surprised if Dreamworks had done studio interfere with his script.

Overall, not the best but nice to see Kaufman doing more stories.

This Netflix production, scripted by Kaufman is formulaic but manages to work. If the animation is nothing special, the script is better than what drives most animated movies aimed at a young audience. It is a sweet-natured little tale, indebted to Monsters Inc and the whole Pixar canon but saved from being predictable through different borrowings, as well as its various metafictional levels of storytelling. It's nicely personal as his spin on a Pixar film, but the downside is that he can't help imitating too many of them at once - which makes it equal parts sweet and hectic, and not a little overambitious.

My Rating : 6.3/10.

Orion and the Dark is a sweet and charming film, dealing with anxiety in a unique cross generational way. There are moments where it almost captures peak Pixar (think Up), which is a first for Dreamworks. A very good family film, that will age wonderfully as your family grows up. Especially good for families with ND children / parents or families with children / parents who suffer from anxiety.

The sudden non-linear nature of it might seem jarring, but trust me - stick with it - it makes beautiful sense at the end. Voice acting was on point too... not celebrity ridden like Dreamworks films tend to be.

Loved it (and my kids did too).

I tried my best to like and enjoy this movie really i watched it from start to end.

But it will fail to deliver in so many aspects, you will find yourself struggling to connect with the story.

There is nothing much to describe except i liked the idea this movie was tryna explain childhood fears, anxieties etc etc.

First 20 mins was somewhat enjoyable then it just went down so bad after.

This movie should have stayed fantasy with all the entities as they are should have a better story, better ending that way.

Rather they made it like it's all imagination of a man telling story to her daughter, and they just making stuff up anything ridiculous goes on.

It's a 5/10 for me only because of the idea this movie could have been so much better.

Orion is an eleven year old boy with many fears. He obsesses about every negative thing that could possibly happen. He is also being bullied at school by a kid named Richie. And he is most afraid of the dark. Which young kids aren't? Ok, but because Orion is so extreme in his fears, darkness mutates into a figure one evening and pays him a visit. Although perceived as scary, Dark is a gentle giant with a big smile - and he has feelings.

Hoping Orion will overcome his fear of the dark, Dark invites Orion to join him for one night to see what a night is like for Dark. Reluctant at first, Orion agrees. Although he soon regrets his decision, his outing takes him on a wonderful journey of discovery.

Orion meets the other night entities as well: Sleep, Insomnia, Sweet Dreams, Quiet, and Unexplained Noises. Although a young audience might not entirely understand these characters, the film tells its story in such a unique manner that it will appeal to youngsters even if they don't fully understand what it is about. The characters are funny and likeable. In a way it felt like 'Inside Out' meets 'Rise of the Guardians'.

The animation is fantastic. No wait, it's better than fantastic; it's outstanding!! The voice over work is also excellent. I know it's still very early in the year, but already I'm hoping 'Orion and the Dark' will be a contender for Best Animated Feature at 2025's Oscars. This film is just absolutely brilliant on every level, and there is so much we can learn from it. It also depicts the cycle of life, which I somehow found sad in a way, but very relevant and thought-provoking. I absolutely LOVED this film! It will no doubt go down as one of my all-time favourite animated films of all time! Yup, that's how much I liked it!

DreamWorks Animation's most recent release follows Orion, a boy with an active imagination who faces his fears on a journey through the night with some new friends. Written by Charlie Kaufman, the mind behind "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Being John Malkovich" I was intrigued to view his first animated film. Sadly, I will admit that this was kind of a letdown in the aspect of it not feeling original whatsoever. It did however illustrate kids struggling with fear and anxiety, and ways to face such fears. An ensemble of talented actors such as Jacob Tremblay, Angela Bassett, and Paul Walter Hauser would bring much attention to any film, however they couldn't do much to save this from just being an average film. Overall, this was nowhere near DreamWorks Animation's best work but was not there worst either.

I was enjoying the beginning so much that I paused the movie and made some popcorn. Everything was perfect; the story, the animation, nice heavy shadows in the animation, the drawings and separate little cutscenes which by the way reminded me of "Better off Dead" with John Cusack and a little of "Love and Monsters" with Ariana Greenblatt, in THAT movie the main character made a book with all the monsters in it that he came across, in This movie the main character made a book of all his fears. The beginning was so perfect, I was happy. But then the movie changed, I remember Buzz talking to all the alien dolls while Woody is watching and saying "This is Ludicrous". That's how I felt with the rest of the movie.

Orion and the Dark is a spellbinding cinematic journey crafted by a prodigious college student filmmaker. This enchanting tale follows Orion, a fearless young protagonist, as he confronts the mysterious realm of darkness with awe-inspiring visuals and an emotionally charged narrative. Bursting with creativity, the film showcases the filmmaker's ingenuity through inventive camera angles and whimsical animations that transport viewers into a world where childhood fears collide with the boundless wonders of the universe. While lacking the slick finesse of mainstream productions, "Orion and the Dark" compensates with raw authenticity and a vibrant storytelling spirit. This indie gem not only explores the universal theme of overcoming fears but also promises a bright future for the emerging talent behind it. With its heartwarming story and imaginative visuals, this film is a captivating testament to the untapped potential that awaits in the world of cinema. Keep an eye on this rising star; their unique approach to storytelling is set to leave an indelible mark on the industry.

Orion is the kind of school kid, who has a book full of things he fears. He likes Sally and is awaiting a school trip but his anxiety keeps getting the best out of him. His worst fear of all is the dark. This irks well the dark, who confronts Orion while introducing to his colleagues/friends - random noise, sleep, insomnia, dreams and quiet. While Dark tries to show the importance his existence to Orion, things slightly escalate with Orion preferring Light, nemesis of Dark leading to Dark being left alone. How Orion makes up for his mess and even learn to face his fear with the help of a girl named Hypatia, forms rest of the story.

Based on a children's book by Emma Yarlett, this one has Charlie Kaufman's touch all over. The film begins with Orion's voice over taking us through his day and ofcourse his fears and it felt like a pretty standard story of light and dark's existence to help world function the way we know it to be. Then comes the magic of Kaufman with the introduction of Hypatia and her father. The writer takes over from here, making the proceedings all the more fun. I liked the "come up with your own ending" bit, which made the predictable final act, more fun.

We all have fears that we struggle with throughout our lives. Perhaps the biggest contribution to overcoming these fears was the support of our parents. The things that scared Orion and his narrative were very attractive and made us feel close to him.

But darkness has been the common point of most people at a young age. What we always had in mind from darkness was a scary and emotionless creature with a strange voice. But the story we had here was exactly the opposite of our childhood imagination. Darkness is a reliable, kind and helpful friend.

The border of creativity in the screenplay was not limited to darkness, and the night team of Darkness was really pleasant. This team included everything that happened to us at night and with extremely creative methods, they can make the night painful or relaxing for us. I had a lot of trouble with insomnia :)

This is a movie that appeals to everyone, regardless of age. From the beginning of the story to the end, the audience was accompanied by the story moment by moment, and both adults and children could communicate with it. Thanks for creating a safe space for families to enjoy a movie together.

Judging by a couple of the early reviews we once again have the unpleasurable company of a couple of morose nitpickers. It doesn't matter who the maker is etc because, your not bothered about a films maker but the films content!

Myself? Well I loved it! I thought it was a totally unique idea for a child's cartoon and, I believe a great deal of children will enjoy this a lot. Its not a laugh a minute comedy (I had a grin or 2 but no deep belly laughs) and it does not matter at all; its still a whole lot of fun! The characters are all easily likeable and, children will want them at the top of their next Christmas presents list's.

Put a little light in your darkness and have a good time with this sweet dream.

Orion (Jacob Tremblay) is a young boy who is terrified of virtually anything ranging from social humiliation to more abstract fears like the nothingness of being. During a particularly dark night which sees Orion loudly curse the dark, a personified version of Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) comes to Orion to voice his annoyance that out of all the people afraid of him Orion is by far the loudest and most obnoxious. Dark makes a deal with reluctant Orion to have him accompany him on one day of his job with the other Night Entities of Sleep (Natasia Demetriou), Insomnia (Nat Faxon), Dreams (Angela Bassett), Quiet (Aparna Nancherla), and Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel) to show Orion that Dark is nothing to be scared of.

Orion and the Dark is a 2024 animated film co-produced by Netflix and Dreamworks Animation. The film marks the directorial debut of animator Sean Charmatz who more commonly works as a storyboard artist on everything from Spongebob Squarepants to various Warner Bros. And Dreamworks animated films. The film is an adaptation of the 2015 children's picture book of the same name by Emma Yarlett and is adapted by noted screenwriter Charlie Kaufman marking his second time writing for animation following 2015's Anomalisa. At its core Orion and the Dark is a very simple and straightforward story of overcoming ones fears, but while the movie features well worn ideas it's in the delivery of those ideas where the film really comes to life.

While the film's animation isn't given the level of detail or experimentation as something like bigger budget productions, the use of more simplistic models is put to strong use by capturing the soft and gentle appeal of a children's picture book while also incorporating 2D elements that allow for more playfulness such as Orion's various flights of fantasy that come to life in the form of his journal drawings bring to life his seemingly never-ending list of fears. The film features animation work by Mikros who previously worked with Dreamworks on Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and much like how that film captured the childlike frenetic energy that made the books so popular, the same process is used to capture the childlike sense of whimsy and mystique.

Orion and the Dark is about as simple of a story as you can get and the screenplay by Charlie Kaufman is aware of it in more ways than one affectionately pointing out the recurring tropes of this kind of narrative (including a rather cheeky reference to endings in animated films where the characters have a dance party). I don't want to go into too much detail because part of the fun is in seeing the different directions the movie goes storywise, but needless to say that same playfulness on display in the animation can be felt in both the acting and the writing with an approach that was very Princess Bride in its delivery.

I really liked Orion and the Dark for its simplicity and sweetness that managed to maintain a feeling of intelligence without resorting to cynicism or the smug sense of self-awareness characterized by various Shrek clones. While Orion and the Dark isn't the riskiest animated feature, there's always a welcome place for simple stories done well and with intelligence.

DreamWorks falls on its face trying to make a Pixar movie. It's predictable, hallow, poorly thought out, and a wasted premise. My kids were checked out before the end of the movie and had more fun pointing out plot holes and calling out basic conceptual issues than just trying to watch what should have been climax of the film. The concept of the movie had something and perhaps this could be reworked into a successful 5 minute short, but as a feature length film it falls apart. If this really is the director debut movie perhaps it should also be the last. The technical aspects of the film are fine, nothing outstanding but this really just feels like a missed opportunity. DreamWorks had a surprise success with puss in boots last wish but this flop is a poor follow-up.

Kaufman movies are unconventional, and there's nothing more formulaic than Dreamwork movies. This merging of the 2 will probably not be satisfying the fans of either genre but I thought it worked well here, offering something different and interesting though nothing exceptional. While it starts like a fairly typical Dreamworks flick, you can tell the tone is more subtle; and then the original narrative takes over and it's fun to just follow along. It's layered enough for the grown ups to appreciate, but seems straightforward enough for the younger audience to enjoy as well. All in all a nice movie that can be watched by the whole family.

Orion is a boy who is afraid of everything including bully Richi Panichi and girl crush Sally. He puts it all down in his notebook. One night, he is visited by one of his worst fears, the Dark. The Dark is an actual supernatural being and it takes him on a journey through the world of night-time beings.

This is based on a children's book. Charlie Kaufman is one of the writers and seemed to have injected his brand of existential dread. I love some of the ideas, but this may not be for the littlest ones in the audience. It's interesting that the Dark is such a friendly character. I would have thought that it should be a scary character at the start and Orion learns to see its beauty later.