Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
2010
**½
Director: Troy Nixey
Cast: Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Jack Thompson, Alan Dale, Julia Blake, Garry McDonald, Nicholas Bell, Trudy Hellier

8-year-old Sally moves into an old house, which her father and his young girlfriend are trying to restore and resell. She hears pleas of help from the basement and foolishly decides to unleash whatever is trapped down there. Comic book artist Toy Nixey's directorial debut is a remake of a 1973 TV movie. The original apparently made a big impact on Guillermo del Toro, who co-scripted this remake with Matthew Robbins. The setting bears resemblance to other works del Toro has directed (Pan's Labyrinth) or produced (The Orphanage). It is another story set in a spooky house, which mixes grim reality and fairytale elements. Like many ghost/horror stories before it, this one is gripping and enjoyably creepy until we see who called out for Sally. Then the film becomes increasingly silly and predictable. The visuals are impressive, though.