Synopsis
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
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Cast
- Katie HolmesKim
- Guy PearceAlex Hirst
- Bailee MadisonSally Hirst
- Jack ThompsonHarris
- Alan DaleJacoby
- Emelia BurnsCaterer
- Nicholas BellPsychiatrist
- James MackayLibrarian
- Eddie RitchardHousekeeper
- Bruce GleesonBuggy Driver
Recommendations
- 67
The A.V. Club
Absent any qualities beyond the surface, like the history and politics that trouble Del Toro's best films, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is little better than a half-decent scare machine. - 63
Orlando Sentinel
Entirely too literal, but it still manages to be a literally hair-raising piece of modern-style old school Gothic horror. - 60
Village Voice
If the grand finale isn't as resonantly scary as the original's, maybe that's just because, try though we might, we're no longer impressionable kids. - 58
Tampa Bay Times
Curled up at home with the lights off and DVD player running, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark might be passable fun. Spread over a movie screen, the film's modest ambition gets dwarfed by expectations, especially after paying for a ticket. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
The result is a scary movie that is genuinely scary in parts, although an adult can't help noticing this is set in the very worn and tattered territory of the haunted-house genre. Then when you get a glimpse of the CGI critters causing all the mayhem, the scares completely vanish. - 50
Variety
Rather than trying to frighten adults, this entire R-rated exercise feels engineered to emotionally scar any younger audiences who should happen to see it -- much as the original did del Toro back in the day. - 50
Boxoffice Magazine
Blame director Troy Nixey for lacking the touch, or blame the basic material which is better suited to TV - either way, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark never gets you jumping out of your seat. - 42
Entertainment Weekly
Neither colorfully brutal nor especially fun. It's a plodding, derivative gothic potboiler: "The Shining" meets "Coraline," with a touch of "Gremlins" played (boringly) straight.
