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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
DreamWorks Animation has another mature awards-worthy family film following December 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish through this weekend’s Netflix release of Orion and the Dark. The adventure comedy fantasy is an expansive and intelligent adaptation of European author Emma Yarlett’s children’s picture book of the same name. I got to see this film twice ahead of its release, and it truly might be one of the better films of the new year solely based on the mature subject matter handled throughout as well as the solid character developments in its primary characters.
Orion and the Dark is directed by Sean Charmatz and is written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche New York, Anomalisa, I’m Thinking of Ending Things).
In this review, I will discuss Sean Charmatz’s Orion and the Dark. As the title of this article suggests, there will be no spoilers present here!
TRIGGER WARNING: Existential dread, mental health, depression, suicide
Netflix’s Orion and the Dark Synopsis
According to Netflix Media Center, here is the synopsis for Orion and the Dark.
Orion seems a lot like your average elementary school kid — shy, unassuming, harboring a secret crush.
Netlix Media Center
But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed
by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, even falling off
a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the dark.
So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark whisks Orion away on a roller coaster
ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grow closer,
Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown — to stop letting fear control his life and finally
embrace the joy of living.
Discussion
Charmatz and Kaufman’s Orion and the Dark is a remarkable adaptation of Yarlett’s source material from a decade prior. As with other Kaufman films, there is a level of maturity to be appreciated here. The protagonist, Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), is a bit older than his children’s book counterpart, with the storytellers narrowing down on the different fears he has as well as the various means of enduring the night. More than anything else, what I have come to respect most about this adaptation is Kaufman’s screenplay. This is not a film that relies on huge narrative beats. Instead, Kaufman examines the substance of fear and conveys a story that is best suited to him.
Fun, magical, and friendly are adjectives adapted brilliantly from the source material. The representations of night that put those adjectives to work bring out a vivid and memorable viewing experience. Through the magical elements, the animators display a splendid sight as people around the globe enter slumber. The comedy is best here, confirming just why this film contains hints of maturity to it. The warmth through companionship, then, is a unique embrace for the audience, even when it comes to music composers Robert Lydecker and Kevin Lax’s calming soundtrack.
Orion and the Dark is animated beautifully, contrasting Light (voiced by Ike Barinholtz) with Dark (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser) and also mixing tenebrousness with bright color. The character designs are to be commended, ranging from cute and cuddly to fluffy to something godlike. The artwork of phenomena like the ocean or fireworks in the air is lovely as Orion sets out to conquer his fears. Not only that but the montages and sequences, including that towards the end, are animated so well, showcasing what it must be like to be inside of someone’s consciousness.
Adapting Orion and the Dark
Orion is a person who is almost always inside his head, especially in the first dozen or so minutes wherein he introduces himself through a stream-of-consciousness type of narration. Kaufman provides subtlety to his background, whether it’s the spirituality of tortoises—which is a huge element in stories such as, say, Stephen King’s It—or the interactions that he has with those around him. There is a new layer that the screenwriter adds to the existing “lore” of the children’s book, which is that the conversations surrounding fear and how to conquer it very much span generations.
From a literary perspective, it is evident that Kaufman has a lot of creative freedom. On one hand, there is Orion’s introductory narrative. However, later, we see nonlinear guidance, and this is where some viewers might get turned off. The addition of the Night Entities is an interesting narrative choice. Unexplained Noises (voiced by Golda Rosheuvel) made an appearance in the book albeit unnamed, and it’s nice to see her take physical form. The other entities—Insomnia (voiced by Nat Faxon), Quiet (voiced by Aparna Nancherla), Sleep (voiced by Natasia Demetriou), and Sweet Dreams (voiced by Angela Bassett)—are introduced here as new characters, each with three-dimensional roles.
For example, Quiet has qualities akin to the video game character, Kirby, while Sleep possesses delightful dark humor about her. Bassett’s Dreams appears to be a larger character but is brought down to the same level as the rest. First-time viewers might see this grouping as similar to that of Pixar’s Inside Out, but in this case, the characters embody the metaphysics of Night rather than of Emotion.
Fear in Risk Theory
[S]o much of how you see yourself is through the eyes of others.
Dark (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser) in ‘Orion and the Dark’
Fear and risk go hand-in-hand, and personally, so much so that this is not new subject matter. I can tell Kaufman is the proper choice to bring this book to life. This is a storyteller known for delving into psychology and psychoanalysis. Simply put, in the words of the late French philosopher, Anne Dufourmantelle: “The night is our truth”. Many people perceive night and the elements that comprise it as negative facets of life. However, in media such as Batman and the world of Gotham, we are reminded that there is nothing to fear. Fear is but a mere social construct, and what that actually bottles down to is the concept of risk.
Orion is introduced as a young adult who does not take a lot of risks. His first words of dialogue present himself as “a kid, just like you”, showing that he is one person who represents the whole of society. People tend to be scared of taking risks, whether it’s speaking to someone they are fond of or breaking through writer’s block. When it comes down to it, Orion and the Dark is a film about crafting our own endings to the different paths we each take. With Orion, it is making it through the night and accepting fear as a necessary component of living. With Dark, it is accepting the fact that his role is necessary in collaboration with others. This might not be the best film for others, but it is much needed for people like me.
The Crew Behind Orion and the Dark
The film’s musical composition is scored by Robert Lydecker and Kevin Lax. Rob McIntyre serves as the supervising sound editor.
Jessey Drake serves as the lead sound designer. Jeff Halbert and Marc Schmidt are sound designers.
Laria DeLeon, Matt Festle, Cat Gensler, and Grace Stenland are sound editors.
Kevin Sukho Lee serves as the editor of the film.
Dylan Stayman is the assistant editor. Keith Bodmer and Eric Hendricks are additional assistant editors. Mayumi Fujimoto-Jones is the additional editor.
Ania O’Hare and Katie Galvan serve as the voice-casting directors.
Lloyd Taylor and Brandon Sawyer write additional screenplay material. Adam Rosette serves as the head of story.
Animation Team
Hans Dastrup serves as the head of character animation, while Dipika Das is the animation director.
Timothy “Tim” Lamb serves as the production designer. Christine Bian is the art director.
Leah Artwick, Alex Avagimian, Joe Bernardos, Matthew Bordenave (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Justice League Dark, The Death of Superman), Aevery Huens, Kaan Kaylon, Jon Magram, Lyle Nagy (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Kent Osborne, and Jordan Rosato are the story artists for the film.
Gaëlle Beerens, Tom Caulfield, Eric Elrod, Nathan Gelgud, James P. Gibson, Zesung Kang, Hanna Kim, Johane Matte (Avatar: The Last Airbender, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Legend of Korra, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Catherine Rader, Justin Ridge, Jessica Kaori Stanley, and Young Ki Yoon serve as additional story artists.
Jesse Aclin, Elaine Choi, Timothy Lamb, Ryan Matias (Pixar’s Onward), and Joe Pitt serve as the character designers.
Bob Flynn and Nico Marlet are the additional character designers.
M. Scott McKee, Dhiraj Prasad, and Logesh Nanjundeswaran are the visual effects supervisors.
The Voice Cast Behind Orion and the Dark
Jacob Tremblay (Pixar’s Luca, Harley Quinn, The Little Mermaid remake) voices the young titular protagonist, Orion. Paul Walter Houser (I Tonya, Cobra Kai, Da 5 Bloods, Cruella, The Afterparty) voices Dark.
Angela Bassett (Meet the Robinsons, BoJack Horseman, Bumblebee, Black Panther, Pixar’s Soul, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Wendell & Wild), voices Sweet Dreams.
Colin Hanks voices an adult Orion. Mia Akemi Brown voices a young child named Hypatia.
Natasia Demetriou (FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) voices Sleep. Nat Faxon (The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Disenchantment, Our Flag Means Death) voices Insomnia.
Golda Rosheuvel voices Unexplained Noises. Aparna Nancherla (Bob’s Burgers, BoJack Horseman) voices Quiet.
Ike Barinholtz (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Batman: The Audio Adventures) voices Light.
Matt Dellapina and Carla Gugino (the Spy Kids film franchise, Man of Steel) voice Orion’s father and mother, respectively.
Minor Voices
Werner Herzog voices the narrator for a short film directed by Dark.
Shannon Chan-Kent briefly voices an Adult Hypatia. Nick Kishiyama voices Tycho.
Sky Alexis voices Lisa, one of Orion’s school peers. Amy Hill voices Irene, a woman who experiences Dreams.
Hira Ambrosino and Yoshi Ando voice a woman and a man at a drive-in theater, respectively.
Larisa Asuaje voices Mrs. Spinoza, Orion’s fifth-grade teacher.
Sean Charmatz voices Irene’s boss, an evil cucumber dentist, a plastic soda bottle, and Insomnia Guy #1. Walt Dohrn voices a stray cat and Insomnia Guy #2.
Jack Fisher voices Richie Panici, Orion’s school bully.
Ren Hanami appears as the voice of an adult Sally.
Alyssa Lee voices Irene’s daughter and an Insomnia Girl. Noah McCown voices a scared child.
Shino Nakamichi voices Sally, another peer of Orion’s and his crush.
Aliki Theofilopoulos voices Irene’s coworker, the scared kid’s mom, a juice box, and an Insomnia teacher.
Toru Uchikado voices an Insomnia Man.
Voice Performances and Character Developments
As with the film itself, Tremblay’s voice acting exhibits growth. His previous works, such as The Predator, Good Boys, Pixar’s Luca, and Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake, presented the Canadian actor as a squeaky-sounding kid that many have come to know for quite a while. Through Orion and the Dark, the young actor enters a new chapter in his career through a human being who is older and transitioning into a world where the realm of wonder collides with that of reality.
Orion is a good person, and moreover, a relatable human being with so much anxiety within him. He keeps with him a sketchbook where he draws his fears. I find this similar to Max’s Dream Journal in Robert Rodriguez’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Although, this could just be all too common for people who go through therapy and counseling. It’s a smart addition to the character that hasn’t been seen in the original book. Kaufman’s decision to reduce what specific fears Orion holds is wise as this presents commonalities shared amongst a vast many people in the world.
Hauser’s voice acting is uncanny. It almost reminds me of Seth Rogen’s voicework but without all the laughing and chuckling. Dark’s personality is humane as an entity with feelings and internal conflicts. His feud with Light is nothing like that of the children’s book. In the film, there is a moment that gets a little too realistic when dealing with the heavy existential aspects of life and death. Dark does not get much credit for the role he plays, and his dynamic with Orion seems bittersweet.
Final Thoughts on DreamWorks Animation and Netflix’s Orion and the Dark
Orion and the Dark understands what it means to have nyctophobia (the fear of night) and to not know the unknown. While the story might not be appealing to the casual viewer, there is something praiseworthy about how its themes are delivered. I like the reference to the late David Foster Wallace, Kaufman’s contemporary in the post-modern genre. It doesn’t do much for the story itself aside from reminding viewers of Kaufman’s signature narrative techniques. So far, I might regard this as possibly the greatest animated feature of the year, and sadly, I wish there were a theatrical release of sorts for a title this good. With enough deserved attention, this could be lauded by the masses, and hopefully, it gets there soon!
4.5/5-stars
Sean Charmatz and Charlie Kaufman’s Orion and the Dark streams via Netflix starting this Friday, February 2nd!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
