Netflix animation from Charlie Kaufman – The Hollywood Reporter

“Orion and the Darkness”

DreamWorks Animation

The best animated movies are entertaining enough for kids while providing rewarding diversions for older viewers. This Netflix premiere from DreamWorks Animation hits that sweet spot. The film makes funny and poignant exploitation of typical childhood fears, and is infused with ample adult visual and verbal variety, the latter courtesy of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Eternal sunshine Spotless mind) in his return to feature-length animation after nine years abnormality. Much like the last broadcast Nimona, Orion and darkness This proves to be the kind of cutting-edge animation project that outshines many modern big-screen animations.

Inspired by Emma Yarlett's children's picture book, the story revolves around Orion (Jacob Tremblay, room), a fifth-grader with an overwhelming number of fears that he dutifully records in a vividly illustrated sketchbook.

Many of them are typical for an early teenager, from being afraid to talk to a classmate they like to being abused by bullies to letting down their sports team. Others are more bizarre, like the terror of killer clowns hiding in gutters (he can thank Stephen King for that). Some are of the more existential kind, such as his fear of death. “‘Nothing’ is probably the only unthinkable thing,” Orion says, and let’s face it, it makes a lot of sense. He's the kind of brooding kid who asks his beleaguered parents (Matt Dellapina, Carla Gugino) to read him bedtime stories from the works of David Foster Wallace.

But what Orion fears most is the dark, which is common among children. So he's clearly terrified when Dark (Paul Walter Hauser, perfection in his hilarious vocal performance) visits him one night, looking like a huge black monster but with a surprisingly charismatic personality. He tries to allay Orion's fears but doesn't get far. “There are a lot of people who are afraid of me, but you're on a whole new level,” Dark complains.

Dark even tries to convince Orion that he's a good guy by showing him a seconds-long introductory film about himself titled “Meet Dark” which is narrated by Werner Herzog and has titles credited to Saul Bass. “It didn't make it to Sundance,” Dark complains of his all-too-brief masterpiece. “It's a lot better than half the movies out there.”

These movie jokes aimed at older viewers are a prime example of Kaufman's consistently entertaining screenplay. The film also includes several characters who were not present in the original book, namely the “Night Entities”, which Dark introduces Orion to in an attempt to make him better understand the mechanics of what happens when the lights go out.

They include Ethereal Dreams (the archetypal regal Angela Bassett), whose body is made of stars; Comfortable Sleep (Natassia Demetriou), who looks like a plush toy and tends to fall asleep at uncomfortable moments; the annoying insomniac (Nat Faxon), who likes to mess with your head; Unexplained Annoying Sounds (Golda Rosheuvel), responsible for every mysterious creaking sound that keeps you up at night; and the quiet, sympathetic Aparna Nancheriya, whose dialogue must be subtitled because he speaks in a barely discernible whisper.

Then there's Dark's natural archenemy, the blond and buff Light (Ike Barinhaltz), who's as confident as Dark is insecure. Because Darhk is worried that since so many people are afraid of him, he's not a great guy after all.

Another great element is the quick shots in which we see the now grown-up Orion (comfortably voiced by Colin Hanks) telling his story as a bedtime story to his young daughter Hypatia (Mia Akemi-Brown), who is also worried. Thanks to some useful time travel, they soon feature in his story as well, as the two generations team up to overcome their fears together.

Smart and endlessly funny, Orion and darkness It also beautifully conveys the teenage angst that plagues most of us and the familial love that can enable us to overcome it. Although many find amusement in Orion's insecurities, the film treats them sympathetically, delivering a warm message that should resonate with younger viewers while proving nostalgic for older viewers.

In his feature debut, director Sean Charmatz keeps the action moving at just the right pace. The imaginative character designs and colorful computer animation have enough rough edges to give the film the feel of a beloved children's picture book.