User Reviews

This movie is totally inept. It's one of those films where the characters behave so stupidly you can't believe it. Every scene is a horror film cliché. As for horror, there is none. Some of the scenes are so darkly lit you cannot tell what is going on and I have a feeling the cinematographer did not know what he was doing. As for the script, plot holes abound. Things happen and then are dropped. Characters pop in the movie and are never seen again. One scene will suffice. SPOILER: The grounds keeper is attacked by the creatures with screwdrivers and box cutters, he staggers up the stairs, falls face down on the floor in front of his wife and the little girl. When the husband comes home, the man's wife tells him that her husband has had an "accident". No one asks how he had an "accident" with a screwdriver stuck into his eye and a pair of scissors in his shoulder. I was really disappointed with this movie. I would say save your money.

Suspenseful and frightening terror movie about a haunted mansion in which demonic little critters are residing in their basement and they want more than shelter . A young girl named Sally (Bailee Madison) is sent to live with her divorcer father , exec Alex (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) and move into a spooky Victorian mansion only to find weird critters residing. After arguing with the handyman (Jack Thompson) who insists she should leave the house , strange things begin to happen. There are scary demons living in the basement and Sally discovers them .Sally begins to see small creatures everywhere, but no one will believe her. Her father dismisses her as neurotic and thinks Sally may be losing her mind . But things take a deadly serious turn when the handyman trips at the cellar and is hitten to his nearly death . Then Sally horrifying little creatures pulls from her grasp and while they attacking her at the bathtube . Is she crazy? Or has Sally released demons in the house, demons her father summoned? Don't listen to them. Don't turn off the light. Don't let them out. Fear is never just make believe. Can you see them , Sally ... hiding in the shadows. They're alive, Sally. They want you to be one of them when the lights go out. A story of something not human . Now you see them, now you don't...now you die.

Mindless and average terror film is packed with thrills, intrigue, suspense, horror and lots of interminable screams with no much sense. This is a remake of 1973 TV movie ¨Don't be afraid of the dark¨ by John Newland starred by Kim Darby, Jim Hutton , Pedro Armendariz Jr , William Demarest, but this 2010 retelling results to be a high budget pic that makes for big scary scream-feast and frights , including creepy scenes , eerie make-up and lots of special effects for the sinister demonic beings . And the ending will stick with you and will have you on the edge of your seat , it's a real shocker . The plot is similar on both versions , as young couple and a daughter move an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures who are determined to make the daughter one of their own . However , this is an inferior version that relies heavily on the impressive special effects courtesy of KNB EFX Group (special makeup effects) , Iloura (visual effects) and Spectral Motion (creature effects) .

Stands out the pulsing and thrilling musical score fitting to terror by Buck Sanders and Marco Beltrami , the latter is a spendid composer expert on sinister atmospheres as proved in World War Z, Carrie , Knowing , Max Paine , Repo Man, Deep Water , Underwater , Love and Monsters , among others . Very good and colorful cinematography by Oliver Stapleton . Written and well financed by the the great director/writer/producer Guillermo del Toro , in spite of it , failing at the international box office . Director Troy Nixey created a taut terror drama where the real question is who is haunted and who may be unstable. The picture was professional but middling realized by Troy Nixey , though with no originality , that's why it's a simple and plain remake of the better 1973 film . Rating : 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable horror movie.

I saw the trailer for Don't be afraid of the Dark a few months ago and really wanted to see it, I begged my boyfriend but as always he makes fun of the fact how much I love horror movies and didn't take me. So I had to wait for the rental and now I actually find myself thanking him that we didn't waste our money on this stupid movie. I love haunted house stories, I think since Paranormal Activity, everyone has had their eyes back on that genre of horror. So naturally comes a remake from the 70's comes along that was a haunting child horror story and let's make it the most ridicules looking thing you'll ever see in your life.

In Blackwood Manor eight-year old Sally Hurst arrives in Rhode Island to live with her father Alex and his girlfriend Kim, both restoring it to put it on the market for their client Mr. Jacoby. Sally is depressed due to her mother forcefully putting her in Alex's care. On the first night of her stay, Sally is given a carousel-styled nightlight, the melodious tune it plays awakening the creatures in the ash pit. The next day, Sally wanders the grounds and finds the hidden basement's skylight. However, one of the workman restoring the house, Mr. Harris, warns her, Alex and Kim not to venture into the basement, although they do regardless. Sally takes interest in the sealed fireplace where she hears the creatures calling her name, and follows the mysterious voices. They are now haunting her and will do anything to get her down into the dark.

Where to start with the plot holes in this movie? The creatures are supposedly scared of light yet can walk through a party where there is light everywhere and somehow they could make it under the table? Then how is it that the handy man is attacked by these creatures, getting stabbed all over the place, including the scissors in his shoulder and when the maid comes in he says he had an accident! How you explain that one? The tool box just exploded? Of course you have the cliché where the father doesn't believe his daughter despite numerous episodes of her screaming hysterically that there are things attacking her and then his girlfriend tells him to listen but that's not enough apparently.

They also show a lot of these little monsters that are just laughable, I'm sorry but they did not terrify me in the least little bit. You step on them, they're little bugs, no big deal. They don't have any super powers, they have to convince children to follow them with stupid little faces so naturally as an adult this is just stupid. They don't fly, don't hypnotize people, don't have super strength, so it's just lame. The ending didn't make any sense what so ever. The only thing I could give the film credit too is that the atmosphere was creepy. The sets were amazing and did give a good way to give little chills here and there. Also when Sally looks under her sheet to see what creeped under, that was a pretty frightening scene if it wasn't for the silly CGI effects. But it wasn't enough to save the movie sadly. I was really looking forward to this movie, but it was a total let down, it's not scary or enjoyable and honestly after I'm done writing this review I'll probably forget about this movie.

2/10

I heard many bad reviews of this movie, but I went in with the open mind of one who loves creepy short Gothic stories and old haunted mansions. The movie was unique, atmospheric, and emotionally effective. I used to love sitting and reading old Alfred Hitchcock tomes at the public library when I was little, and listening to old scary radio shows on my AM transistor, a little black boxy thing I clung to late at night... this movie really captures that feeling as I remember it.

I remember the original, it's a classic, what I remember the most is how in the end when they play that really scary music as they show the black cat sitting beneath the porch... I always thought that was really funny.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a Gothic fairy tale that takes place in a beautiful old mansion, in Providence, RI, home of the inimitable author H.P. Lovecraft and The Eagles's song The Last Resort, where a horde of evil faeries live deep beneath and Sally sets them free when the family finds the old barricaded basement and workshop of the grounds keeper's grandfather, an artist who lived in the home for many years, and who drew unpublished works warning of the creatures who once took his son from him.

Will Sally become their next victim as they come up to feed only once every hundred years?

Everything visual is quite visceral, from the rosewood trees, the Koi pond, the front door to the windows, all the aesthetics are beautifully captured in light and shadow. The directing is exceptional, the music while fitting is rather stock and forgettable.

In the end Sally's parents must save her from becoming the next victim to the evil she unwittingly unleashed upon them.

I know a lot of people don't like Katie Holmes but I thought she did a good job here as Kim, the caring and uncertain mothe figure to Sally and girlfriend to her father Alex, so that in the end her sacrifice is felt not just by Sally and her father, but by the audience as well.

Even though Sally is not the daughter of Kim in the movie, the actress who played her Bailee Madison, looks a lot like Katie Holmes.

The runes scratched into the top of the basement furnace reads: BE AFRAID.

I didn't read everyone's review here but I did get to zadaw's review. I completely agree with everything you pointed out! Here's some of my own to add to yours...

Spoiler Alert!!

1. OK so when Sally went into the basement to unscrew the RUSTED bolts from the furnace; this is just comedy because there is no way in hell she is able to unscrew those rusted bolts! Especially with an adjustable wrench! Im guessing she's anywhere between 60-70lbs, she's going to need a whole lot more than elbow grease to unscrew those two bolts!

2. Bath scene; how the hell did those gremlins get inside the medicine cabinet? Did they magically appear inside it? Sally is smart enough to use a wrench to unscrew some bolts, and yet she doesn't have the common sense to turn the damn lights back on? Plus, did the water magically disappear from the bath tub or did she imagine taking a bath the whole time? WTF!!!

3. Dinner; did the guy sitting next to Sally not notice that something was pulling Sally's napkin from under the table? When she ran out of the dining room, everyone had their full attention on her and yet NO ONE saw the little gremlin running a few feet away from her? And when she was in the library getting harassed by these little creatures, I guess it never occurred to her to turn the damn lights on?! And yet, she knows that they hate lights! Good god!

4. 24hr sun? WTF??!! OK did anyone who was involved in making this film not notice that in almost all or maybe all (don't remember) of the scenes where Sally was sleeping or when it was taking place at night that there was daylight shining in through the windows? Take for example the last scene, it was nighttime raining with thunderstorms. The little creatures killed the power and you see a shot of the entire house in full darkness and yet, when Kate fell down the stairs and when the little creatures were dragging Sally down the stairs, did all the freaking staff fell asleep while this scene was being filmed? Someone kill me!

5. Kim falling down the stairs! C'mon, she fell down a few flight of stairs and yet she couldn't move and passed out? Ridiculous, I've fallen 10ft from a tree with only grass to break my fall and I got up and walked away fine! Oh wait, that's not all, she was WALKING down the stairs, there is no way in hell that piece of wire is going to make a cut that deep nor should it have, and to make matters worse she was wearing a pair of jeans! The worst thing that could've happen was this, she tripped, fell, used her hands to break her fall, rolled down the stairs, got up! Wow!

6. Rushing to get out; OK so WTF??!! Both Kim and Alex knew Sally was in trouble, and what was the first thing you see them grab? LOL! No, not Sally but a pillow and blanket! Wow, the kid is in danger, yet the pillow and a blanket seems to be of more importance to them!

7. The little creatures were struggling to drag Sally (remember 60-70lbs) into the basement, yet when Kim cut Sally loose from the rope, did the rope magically wrap around Kim's injured leg? And did the little creatures somehow magically got super little creature strength and manage to break her leg while the rope was magically wrapped around it? Causing her to be dragged into the furnace? Oh wait, and here's what kills me, when Alex rushed down the flight of stairs into the furnace, he as a full view of what was taking place below, and yet, when he rushed below how the hell did he not notice that Kim was in the furnace? This move is totally worthless!

If you guys want to see some real horror movies check out Insidious, Lake Mungo, or Grave Encounters, any of those are a million times better than this piece of junk!

This movie looked promising from what I saw in the trailers. Little creatures running around, mainly unseen. The part in the trailer where the thing jumps at you from under the sheets, unfortunately, that's the only "jumpy" part in the movie. The rest of the movie? Well, we see the scares coming. The movie literally shows you where the creatures are in the house, and the room, before the "scary" part happens. We watch them run behind a teddy bear. They then move the bear's arms and have it say "I love you," which is what it normally says without help. Then they push it off the shelf. When the girl is taking a bath, we watch the creatures run up to the tub. We then see them on the rim of the tub walking slowly up to her, with her watching them. Eerie feeling? Slightly. Scared? Nope. Remember the first Alien movie? Remember it was scary because you didn't see the creature until the end. That's the format this movie should have followed. You saw the little things so many times, and not just their eyes. You got to see exactly what they look like standing still towards the beginning of the movie. That takes the creepiness out of whatever's stalking you. These little things use tools that are lying around as "weapons." They apparently can't hurt you with their own powers. It kind of reminds you of Puppet Master. As far as story. Very little. There isn't a "shocking" ending nor is there any kind of emotional attachment to the characters. I found myself actually praying that the little girl would end up being taken away by the little creatures. I also couldn't help but hate the father, and step-mother, because of their refusal to do anything about their daughter seeing things. When the step-mother, Katie Holmes, finally believes the little girl, she agrees that they must leave the house, but decides that it will be the next morning, because the dinner party can't be put off. This movie is only worth renting if you are planning on having a lot of people over, and adding your own dialogue.

I don't know about you, but if I had moved into a creepy country mansion as a child, the last thing I would have done would be wandering around the cellar at night to investigate the source of ominous whispers. Written by Guillermo Del Toro, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark goes for a dark fairy tale approach, with its kid protagonist's casual reaction to supernatural phenomena - when malevolent rat-like creatures reveal they inhabit the house, she tries to befriend them instead of, you know, being scared out of her wits and ending up under psychiatric care for the next 20 years.

A lovely-crafted Gothic story in the Arthur Machen / early H.P. Lovecraft mold, the movie is spooky, competent, mildly disappointing when you realize there is nothing novel about its narrative, characters and mythology. Cue disbelieving father, tension between daughter and stepmother, supernatural intruders becoming more and more aggressive. To call it a triumph of style over substance would be slightly ungenerous, but not too far off the mark.

6/10

A young girl is sent to live with her estranged father and his girlfriend at their new home.

The father, Alex has plans to spruce up the home with the help of his interior decorator girlfriend, Kim.

The previous owner of the home was a famous painter who mysteriously disappeared.

Alex's daughter, Sally, soon discovers the cause of the painter's disappearance.....

This is one of those films that has a famous Autuers name on some producing credit to give the movie that little bit more gravitas.

Del Toro stated that he wanted to make this as it was his favourite TV mini series of the seventies. And good grief is the film bad.

Like the re-make of 'The Haunting' the house is beautiful and so are the sets, but you come to see a horror movie to be scared, or be put under a little tension, not to see anorexic gremlins bully a little girl.

Pearce and Holmes have zero chemistry and the only reason this hasn't got one star is because, to my knowledge the first time that Mike and Jim Robinson from hit Aussie soap 'Neighbours' have been in the same room on the big screen.

otherwise, it's dull, don't let the Del Toro credit fool you.

(This review has SPOILERS to both the original and the remake) I saw as a kid and was really spooked by the original TV movie from the 70s, with Kim Darby. So I awaited the remake with great anticipation, particularly because the original little monsters were so corny looking and could really do with a face-lift.

Overall I thought Del Toro did a good job of updating the story, and improved it in some ways, but in others I think I prefer the feel of the original better.

First, I'm of two minds about the switcheroo making Sally a child. Yes, the sense of danger is greater, the fear for the child. But the downside of that is there are too many people in the mix -- in the original it was just the husband and wife but now there are two protective adults and so the feeling of isolation isn't as strong, and they have to be pretty contrived in putting the little girl by herself over and over again. In the original the husband is often out and very often it's just the adult Sally at home, all by herself, with her suspicions and fears, which I found to be very spooky.

Second, all the back story. It sets the creatures up better, I suppose, and gives Kim the ability to do the detective thing with the groundsman and at the library, but does this really build tension or make the story scarier? I didn't think so -- having a person (especially a child) menaced by ugly little scampering creatures is plenty, and I actually found all the back story something of a distraction.

Being Del Toro, he just had to add a magical secret garden. What is it with this guy and secret gardens? I saw all that overgrowth and the pond and the Koi and knew that it would play a part in the final act of the story, but it didn't. It was completely superfluous! I think GDT needs to get over his magic garden fetish and stick to the story.

The cheesiness of the original creatures actually was a benefit, as they didn't show them too much. Here we see these obviously CGI creatures constantly. I am amazed that someone who likes the supernatural as much as GDT does not realize that what we don't see scares us far more than what we do. Likewise, having things explained to us takes the fearfulness of them away immediately. Human beings are first and foremost afraid of the unknown. (This is why so many primitive cultures independently invented "God.") To show something, to explain it, is to take the fearfulness away from that thing. As soon as the creatures take over the screen time, the movie stops being a thriller and becomes a monster movie, and my interest immediately wanes. "Insidious," anyone? That recent movie was quite scary until the trainwreck that was the big explanation in the last act, which drove a stake right through the heart of the picture.

One final thing -- that self-conscious playfulness that GDT sometimes uses in his stories is not so cute to people who also have some background in the same story. In the original, Kim Darby played Sally. Here Sally is a girl, but the adult woman watching over her is named ... wait for it ... KIM. As soon as I heard that I thought, "ah, she's going to be taken instead of Sally," as Kim Darby got taken in the original. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. That lessened the tension of the story for me immediately.

Well, this ended up sounding more negative than I really meant it to be, as I am a fairly critical person. I should say that I actually enjoyed the remake, I thought it kept a good level of suspense, and it was quite an eyeful as all of GDT movies are -- very handsome and evocative. Bailey Madison with that chubby round face and big eyes was absolutely adorable, and she's also quite a talented young actress -- she did a wonderful job maintaining a sense of mournfulness over her family situation, which explains perfectly her mindset in unlocking the terror from the walled-in room. Katie Holmes has a familiar girl-next-door affability undiminished from her time on "Dawson's Creek," and she's just about as good to look at as she was back then as well. I was a little surprised that an actor as accomplished as Guy Pearce gave this two-dimensional performance, but it could be argued that he had little to work with -- this movie belonged to the girls.

I have to say that I'm very glad that GDT is no longer associated with "The Hobbit." I think he's wonderful at painting supernatural tableaux, but truth be told, he's not a particularly good storyteller, and The Hobbit, despite the dragons and were bears and all that, is all about the story. In "Don't Be Afraid" he already had a pretty compelling story from the original teleplay, and it still manages to hang together well, but despite its cheesy teevee movie production values, I think there are more scares to be had in the original. That said, go see this one too, if only for the female leads and the beautiful camera-work.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a 2011 horror film Directed by Troy Nixey. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark could have been a whole lot better, but I feel that it was more of a win than a fail,just by a little bit. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is about creepy creatures that are living in a hidden dungeon type place and they are released by a little girl. What starts out as curiosity soon turns to terror as the little girl is tormented by the evil little beasts. The film ends up being just OK and I think that was my biggest complaint.There is not anything really bad in the film, but there just not anything that stands out as good either. See this flick and decide for your self, you may like it,you may not.Skip it if you were looking for another Del Torro master piece. 6/10

Dumb, dumb, dumb...

I'm pretty sure the writers forgot this script was due until 12 hours before the deadline..."wait...the script's due tomorrow?!!?"

Let me get this straight. Your house's caretaker has an "accident" in which he stabs himself in the back of the knee with a screwdriver, cuts his hand with a razor, gouges his own eye out and then stumbles up the stairs with a set of scissors stabbed into his shoulder...makes sense. That must have been some dynamite police work. I especially liked how he's laying on the floor bleeding and the nanny does nothing. Get the dude a towel, water, some Robitussin...something.

The award for worst parents in history goes to Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes. What I learned from this movie is that if your child has a traumatic experience, the first thing you should do is immediately put them to bed, in the dark, by themselves and let them be alone with their thoughts. Guy Pearce is a total douche in this movie. His girlfriend's clothes are found slashed by a razor and his caretaker has just suffered a brutal, violent attack in the basement. His little daughter is hysterical and has been attacked twice, Guy Pearce's solution...let's throw a party!! He was a real bad ass too when Katie Holmes got sucked down the hole in the basement. Didn't even try to get her back...nice.

CGI rat dwarfs aren't scary either.

I would rather shut my manhood in a car door than see this movie again.