Don't be Afraid of the Dark Movie review 2011

Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes star in Guillemero del Toro's new screenplay horror remake, Don't be Afraid of the Dark.

Don't be afraid of the dark is a horror/thriller about a modern day American family who move into a house that is known to have plenty of history about it, but what kind? no one knows!

The father Alex (Guy Pearce) has to live up to the fact that his daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) is now his responsibility after the mother decided she could not look after her anymore. Alex is in the process of revamping the creepy home they moved into with the help of his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes).

Kim, who is an Interior decorator (hope I got that right) lends a help in hand with the house design, much to the anger of Sally, who can't seem to face up to the fact that Mammy and Daddy are no longer together anymore.!

The movie has a decent plot. The house they live in gives you the slightest hint of a mysterious past as the previous owner disapeard some years ago. Sally gets scared after hearing strange voices and discovering monster like creatures living in the basement. While loved up couple Kim and Alex are too busy decorating the house, Sally becomes prey for these creatures. The plot is for her to stay alive as these creatures, who feed off human teeth, are desperate for Sally to be theirs.

Don't be afraid of the Dark offers up some very jumpy scenes and scary moments as Guillermo del Toro shares his creepy imagination with us all. The first scene in the movie is typical horror, very old school, which is good might I add. Unfortunately I felt their could of been more of the same after a great introduction, and hoped for scarier parts through-out the movie but kind of let me down there as I love my Horror movies.

As for the cast, was very average, Katie Holms? I didn't feel she was as scared as she should have been. The little girl Bailee Madison is genius in the film and out-shoned Guy Pearce and Katie Holms. There is something about her face that creeps terrifies me sinister in this horror, and she isn't evil, she is sweet and innocent. Kind of like Haley Joel Osmen from The Sixth Sense,...weird looking kid but his face just suited the horror of the movie, in my opinion.

All round the movie was mediocre, not great. I know Guy Pearce is established a while but I wish someone better played the father, Alex. Don't get me wrong he can act, but just didn't think he suited this film, maybe just Horror genre in general.

So Don't be Afraid of the Dark is a good time for a day out or a first date, especially if that person is afraid of watching the bloody Gremlins! At the end of it all it is unfortunate to say it lacks in the Horror genre we would expect. You won't leave half way through it so that's always a good sign for a movie. (Piranha 3D I still do not regret leaving that day, you suck!)  But to watch it again is a big question, for me? No! for you? go see and find out.


6/10


Gerry_Cheesey