This Lost, Guillermo del Toro-Produced Chiller Is Now Streaming on Peacock; Don’t Miss It
I have been a fan of the Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark remake since it debuted in theaters. Much of my appreciation for the film comes from Guillermo del Toro’s involvement as a screenwriter and producer. The picture captures the eerie atmosphere of the made-for-TV movie it reimagines and then branches out to tell its own story. Director Troy Nixey cloaks the proceedings in macabre imagery sure to delight and scare in equal measure. And although he doesn’t direct, Guillermo del Toro’s influence is apparent from the get-go.
I appreciate that the adult protagonist from the made-for-TV original is replaced by a child here. Bailee Madison is well-cast as young Sally Hurst. To see an impressionable child in such great peril brings a level of vulnerability to the picture that truly ups the ante. And the bond she forges with her father’s girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes), comes across as genuine, even touching at times. And don’t even get me started on that ending!
It makes me sad to say this, but despite everything it gets right, the Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark redux is fairly underrated by the masses. It currently sits at a critical approval rating of 60% ‘fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes and the audience score is a shameful 34%. I firmly believe this film deserves better. I have to wonder if the picture would have resonated more if it weren’t being compared so closely to the gold standard of made-for-television horror movies from which it is adapted. If you haven’t seen it, I’d suggest going in with an open mind and judging this redux on its own merits.
If you’d like to check out Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark , you can find the picture streaming on Peacock as of the publication of this post. It may not outdo its legendary predecessor. But there’s still plenty to appreciate about this macabre effort with Gothic set pieces and a fairytale-esque narrative.
The setup for this Guillermo del Toro-produced chiller goes like this:
Lonely and introverted, young Sally (Madison) has just arrived at the 19th-century mansion that her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Holmes) are restoring. While exploring the sprawling estate, Sally discovers a hidden, long-undisturbed basement. Unwittingly, she unleashes a race of malevolent, dark-dwelling creatures who intend to drag her and her family down into the mansion’s bottomless depths. A remake of the 1973 made-for-TV movie.
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