'Orion and the Dark' Review | Netflix film delightfully blends childhood fears with adult resonance
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Orion and the Dark' is a children's movie on the surface as the plot revolves around a schoolboy who fears almost anything and everything around him.
But as you begin to watch it, you realize that it beautifully caters to the adult audience as well, addressing their anxieties and the fears that they carry in their heads.
'Orion and the Dark', streaming on Netflix, is written by Charlie Kaufman, the man behind 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and 'Adaptation'.
'Orion and the Dark' surprises you with an engaging plot
'Orion and the Dark' begins with introducing Orion, an 11-year-old kid, who is afraid of everything. Be it cell phones, oceans, bees, or mosquitoes, everything around him scares him. Moreover, he carries a fear of rejection, being left alone, and facing humiliation which ultimately stops him from living his life openly.
We are then introduced to his biggest fear — darkness. Things get interesting when Orion gets a surprise visit from Dark, a supernatural entity. The little boy now has no choice but to sit face-to-face with his biggest fear.
This begins an eventful journey for Orion when he joins Dark on a trip to witness how Darkness works and understands that he isn't evil after all.
The plot isn't predictable which makes it watchable till the end. There are instances when the narrator (adult Orion) isn't sure of how the story will progress and it's refreshing to discover the end along with the narrator.
'Orion and the Dark' is more than a bedtime story
If Charlie Kaufman wanted to restrict the film to children, he could have just portrayed Orion's magical journey with Dark around the world with a simple ending of him overcoming his fear.
But that's not the direction he chose! Instead, he goes deeper to strike a chord with the adult audience.
Introducing Insomnia that goes around disrupting everyone's sleep with random negative thoughts is something every adult will resonate with. And then there's an entity of Sweet Dreams, which goes into people's subconscious and gathers one's thoughts to uplift them with beautiful visions.
The film loosely shows how hatred or humiliation (even if it's unintentional) can bring down someone's morale and push him into loneliness.
And above all, the Netflix film is much more than teaching children to embrace the concept of day and night. It emphasizes the journey one takes while accepting his fears and learning to live his life amid them.
'Orion and the Dark' is currently streaming on Netflix