Film File - Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Just the job for the gathering gloom of chilly autumnal evenings - a very scary horror movie that'll have you reaching for your partner or hiding behind the seat in front. A remake written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins and directed by Troy Nixey, the story concerns a young girl, Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison), who joins her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), as they renovate an old 19th century mansion. As she wanders about the grounds of the old estate, Sally feels all is not quite right. Subtle signs and portents that only she senses where the ghosts of former occupants may not be all that nice. Things get worse, much worse, when the inquisitive Sally decides to look in the basement - and reminds us of that famous line by Eddie Murphy: "Why do white folks always wanna go in the basement? It's crazy, we all know it ain't gonna end happy, but they can't stay outta there." Descending into the depths, Sally discovers a secret lower level that has lain undisturbed for nearly a century, dating back to when the original builder vanished without a trace. Opening the door, the young girl unleashes a horrific force that has lain dormant for decades and now bursts forth with a deadly appetite. It's a stunning combination in the right hands - a creepy old house, a pair of unsuspecting adults with other things on their minds, and a young girl right in the path of a terrible terror. With the horrific reality of what's in the basement delivered in an opening sequence where a former occupant commits a horrific deed, 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark' does give the game away very early on. However, even though we know the hellish evil that's lurking under the foundations of the house, we still wait with bated breath for the moment when it will be disturbed. The adults, Alex and Kim, are so obsessed with their plan to renovate the old pile and possibly get a feature about their efforts in Architectural Digest, not even Hannibal Lecter himself with a bloodstained axe would alert them that any bad things might be about to happen. Sally, on the other hand, meets brewing evil at every turn - voices in the night, items going missing, torn up clothing - it's even worse than a Nama house on a ghost estate at some points. Rather than contemplate that their dream building project might just be a road to hell, Alex and Kim see Sally as the culprit for this nocturnal nuisance. While the acting is good from all concerned - particularly newcomer Madison as the troubled youngster struggling with her parents' broken marriage - applause must go to the house itself, a character in its own right that contributes hugely to the tension and menace of the film. Clad in creepy angles and corners, full of strange emblems and carvings, this is the kind of place nobody - not even a cash buyer at a distressed property auction - should go near. Holmes is very good as the stepmother trying to be liked by a distrustful daughter, and who makes a female connection to the gathering havoc long before the dim-witted Alex does. There are a few holes in the plot, devices concealed for the pace of story's development that don't quite ring true, but they are minor distractions to the overall effort. 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark' is a thoroughly good shocker, and one that loses none of effectiveness even though you know exactly what's coming.