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Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, Bailee Madison, Jack Thompson, Alan Dale ... see more see more... , Julia Blake , Trudy Hellier , Terry Kenwrick , Abbe Holmes , Garry McDonald , Bruce Gleeson , Edwina Ritchard , Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen , David Tocci , Lance Drisdale , Nicholas Bell , Libby Gott , James MacKay , Emelia Burns , Grant Piro , Todd MacDonald , Angus Smallwood , Dylan Young , Guillermo del Toro

While architect Alex Hurst (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) restore their Gothic mansion's period interiors, Alex's young daughter Sally (Bailee Madison) can investigate the maca... read more read more...bre history and dark corners of the estate. Spurring Sally's investigation are the voices-rasping whispers who call out to her from the basement, who promise her understanding and friendship, who are so very hungry and would like to be set free. When Sally gives in to her curiosity, she opens a gateway into a hellish underworld from which an army of beady-eyed, sharp-clawed monsters emerge, small in size but endless in number. Confronted with the horror that now threatens to taker her life and destroy her family, Sally desperately tries to warn the whole house, but there's just one problem: no one believes her. -- (C) Miramax

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34% liked it

35,209 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

158 critics

R, 1 hr. 16 min.

Directed by: Troy Nixey

Release Date: August 26, 2011

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DVD Release Date: January 3, 2012

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Stats: 3,212 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,212)

  • blkbomb
    May 4, 2012
    blkbomb
    Creature: Turn off the lights.

    "Fear is Never Make Believe"

    What could have been. I had been wanting to see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark for quite some time now. Why is obvious; it's written and produced by none other than Guillermo del Toro. So I was excited. A lot of the film ... read moreresembles a lot of his gothic horror elements. The atmosphere is initially creepy as hell and the music fits the mood perfectly. Throughout the first 20 or 30 minutes, I still thought this was going to be a fantastic film. I guess it all goes wrong exactly when it all goes wrong for the little girl, Sally. When the creatures come out and we see them, it was just laughable. If those things are your scare factor, you should probably keep them out of sight for as long as possible. They are shown way too early and way too often to have any real effect at all on the viewer. When their hidden away at the start and all we get is whispers from behind vents, it is somewhat effective; but out in plain sight, is a completely different story altogether. 

    Now I'm not going to say this is completely worthless because it is not. It feels like a great horror film. The setting is perfect and the lighting is used well. It feels like a really good haunted house movie throughout, except that it's a creature movie and not a ghost one. I don't think the movie deserved to be completely dismissed like it was, but that reaction is understandable because it is coming from del Toro, and we have come to expect so much more from him. So it isn't all bad, but it could have been so much more with a few tweaks to the story, and possibly some scarier "creatures."
  • sergioogarcia
    March 4, 2012
    sergioogarcia
    Another classic story of Guillermo del Toro. Honestly, there isn't anymore good horror movies. An this is not an exception. Is good from the point of view of a fantasy/suspense movie, but that's it. It's a like a good dark fairy tale. The most horrifying thing is that Katie Holme... read mores accepted this role and NOT The Dark Knight .
  • FiLmCrAzY
    February 25, 2012
    FiLmCrAzY
    Well its watchable, however it isnt a great horror, it isnt scary and apart from one scene towards the end involving Katie Holmes where it really looked painful and i cringe that was the only decent scene!
    Good actors however poor movie and really slow!
  • liquidchick76
    February 15, 2012
    liquidchick76
    An error in the listing says this is the 1973 version, which isn't the case. Anyway, this movie wanted to be good, but it wasn't. Not only was it not scary, but it was downright goofy at times-- I felt sorry for the cast. I'm only giving it two stars because the cast did their ... read morejob the best they could, and the cinematography was actually rather good. It was, if nothing else, an attractive film.
  • MrMarakai
    February 13, 2012
    MrMarakai
    Having delivered such quality horror films in the past with "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan Labyrinth", Guillermo Del Toro does the producing and writing duties on this. He had the intention of directing it himself but due to a hectic schedule, the directing reins were handed to ... read morefirst time feature director Troy Nixey. Maybe, if Del Toro had helmed this, it wouldn't have been as uneventful. But then, he did write the script, which is the films ultimate letdown.
    Young Sally (Bailee Madison), who's neurotic, overmedicated, and feels unloved, is sent to live with her divorced father, Alex (Guy Pearce). He's renovating a spooky old mansion with his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), but the house has a terrible history. It doesn't take long for the little girl to hear strange voices, calling to her from a boarded-up basement, behind a furnace vent. The voices belong to monstrous little creatures who mean to overtake her as their latest "friend."
    It builds slowly and assuredly the way a good horror story should. It has the vulnerable child; the disbelieving parents; the grand, dark mansion with it's enigmatic groundskeeper and the always reliable, things that go bump in the night. With everything place, you expect it to take off at some point, but it never does. The good use of atmosphere is wasted and the acting is wooden but even they are overshadowed by a sluggish pace and dull formulaic script. When the little creatures are finally revealed, it looks like it may be onto something but as impressive as they are, they are ultimately underused. Even they couldn't prevent the tediousness this film has. About half way in, my suspicions were realised as this was never really going to go anywhere and as a result my interest waned.
    The fact that this film lay in limbo for 2 years, before being released, says it all really. Like so many horror films (and remakes) these days, it promises so much but delivers so little.
  • skactopus
    January 27, 2012
    skactopus
    With the help of a dark fantasy screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Troy Nixey's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is easily a watchable thriller.

    Highly misconstrued as a horror, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, while containing elements of a horror, doesn't play out like on

    ... read moree. The 95 minute story is a tad slow, but the mystery behind the "fairies" contain high interest value from beginning to end.

    There aren't any scares to be had and the violence isn't overly intense or gruesome; however, there is just enough to back up an R rating. The CG and the design of the "fairies" is unique and nicely done. The film isn't shy about unleashing them either, although it does take a while for them to be fully revealed.

    Guy Pearce doesn't have much of a likable character, which is a disappointment because he isn't the villain of the picture. Katie Holmes on the other hand, becomes more engaging as the film progresses. The young Bailee Madison plays a convincing girl who is tormented by the creatures of the dark.

    Don't Be Afraid of the Dark's lack of plot details and heavy character development keeps it from being a great film, but a good fantasy thriller it still is.
  • LWOODS04
    January 24, 2012
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Alan Dale, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake, Edwina Ritchard, Garry McDonald, Emelia Burns, Guillermo del Toro

    Director: Troy Nixey

    Summary: Soon after moving in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes), ... read moreyoung Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) discovers she isn't alone in the house: strange creatures live there -- and they might not be as friendly as Sally thinks they are.

    My Thoughts: "The film had the creepy factor and the acting was solid, but the film just ran too long. I just kept thinking like come on get going. Never a good sign. I have not seen the first film and honestly didn't know there was one. Bailee Madison was adorable and really good in this film. I would say it's worth seeing at least once."
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    January 16, 2012
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The remake of Don't be Afraid of the Dark is pretty good. The film relies on atmosphere to create effective horror and tension, and is a key component to create an exhilarating horror film. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a chilling film that effectively uses atmosphere to create ... read morethe tension on-screen. I'm usually pretty picky when it comes to remakes, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this film was. Sure the film isn't flawless by any means, but it has all the components for an effective horror film. Director Troy Nixey gives this film the necessary look for it to be an effective horror film. What separates Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark from other remakes is that other remakes rely purely on the CGI to create the tension, which is an aspect this film does for the creatures of course; but it also adds the necessary atmosphere that a horror film needs to be scary, and memorable. This is a good film that blends elements of the haunted house genre with the traditional del Toro monster to create an effective, chilling and overall fun remake of a classic film. I very enjoyed the performances of the actors here, I really like the fact that Guy Pearce was in this film, as I think he's a phenomenal actor, and in my opinion quite underrated. Katie Holmes despite the haters is good as well, and I very much enjoyed her as well. However the key performance of this film, the performance that made this film believable is Bailee Madison as Sally, she's a perfect choice to play the lead, and she displays great talent. Madison definitely has a bright career ahead of her. As far as remakes are concerned, I would list this film as one of my favorite remakes along with the Fright Night remake. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a film that deserves to be on the very short list of watchable remakes. Flawed, but effective, if you're looking for a tension filled horror film, give this one a shot.
  • Crashinkov
    January 11, 2012
    Crashinkov
    attractive beginning force you to sit still on the couch to watch the next events, but these events turned the movie to a mediocre horror thriller.
  • Beefy
    January 5, 2012
    Beefy
    Under-developed with paper thing characters and an unlikable protagonist. And even worse, frequently boring. A misfire.

View All Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Reviews

Critic Reviews

Amy Biancolli
September 1, 2011
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

The film looks good, it sounds great (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders' score is full of darkly murmuring woodwinds), and Madison is a pip of a lead. Full Review

William Goss
August 26, 2011
William Goss, Film.com

A welcome alternative to the current genre offerings, steeped in old-fashioned atmosphere and faithful to haunted house routine, albeit to a fault. Full Review

Matthew Hays
August 26, 2011
Matthew Hays, Globe and Mail

This is still a seriously entertaining horror movie, one that will please newcomers as well as fans of the original oddity. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
August 26, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

The season's scariest horror film - and, depending on what the next few months bring, perhaps the year's. Full Review

Kyle Smith
August 26, 2011
Kyle Smith, New York Post

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" will turn your nerve endings to Popsicles. Full Review

Peter Howell
August 26, 2011
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

This artless film even approaches child abuse, in the way it crassly reconfigures the protagonist from the besieged adult woman of the original into a neglected and terrified tot. Full Review

John Anderson
August 25, 2011
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal

Mr. Nixey is doing an Alfred Hitchcock homage within a movie lacking anything as subversive, or skilled, as Hitchcock. Full Review

Ian Buckwalter
August 25, 2011
Ian Buckwalter, NPR

There's no denying that his latest monsters are imaginative and detailed creations, but the haunted house-style story is hampered by his desire to show them off. Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis
August 25, 2011
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

What they're after is clear from the film's gruesome prologue; what they look like is withheld until long after we have ceased to care. Full Review

Claudia Puig
August 25, 2011
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Don't worry about fearing darkness, but beware horror flicks that trot out every hoary cliché. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Harris: This house is unsafe for a child.
    • Sally Hurst: They don't like bright lights, you know, those things.
    • Creature: Come and join us.
    • Sally Hurst: What are you?
    • Creature: What are we? Hungry.
    • Creature: S-A-L-L-Y!
    • Kim: Soon.
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Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Trivia

  • In what movie was one of the taglines "Don't be afraid of the dark. Be afraid of what's in the dark."  Answer »
  • whats this quote from? dont be afraid of the dark of course you should be afraid the dark you know whats out there  Answer »
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