Review: ‘Orion and the Dark’ is destined to become family movie night royalty

If the prospect of a DreamWorks film written by Charlie Kaufman piques your interest in the way that only such a prospect could, you’ll be more than glad to know that Orion and the Dark—a DreamWorks film written by Charlie Kaufman—is delightful proof in the pudding that a DreamWorks film written by Charlie Kaufman should, in fact, pique your interest in exactly the way that that prospect does.

Indeed, though it very occasionally stumbles in trying to live up to its ambition, Orion and the Dark ultimately soars on the back of great character work, smart humor, and a story that both pays off in more ways than one and wastes no opportunity to remind us who was responsible for the script.

When we’re first introduced to Orion (voiced by the young Jacob Tremblay, whose penchant for performance is as impressive as ever), it’s quickly apparent that adults will benefit just as much from the film as the younger kids it’s aimed at; beyond the fact that we’ve all had imaginary conversations in our heads when gripped by the throes of anxiety—and, subsequently, can all probably see at least a bit of ourselves in Orion—no secret is made of the fact that Orion is an incredibly intelligent person, and it’s this aspect of himself, rather than his tendency to be afraid, that truly gets taken to task.

Before Orion is greeted by Dark (voiced by the perfectly cast Paul Walter Hauser), we see him constantly try to logic his way into justifying his fears to further justify his desire to keep all discomfort at bay. Now, this is counterproductive (a point that the film telegraphs throughout, most of all by the sheer discomfort that’s routinely plastered on Orion’s face anyway), and as the plot begins to unfold, children and adults alike may find themselves identifying with the idea that your mind is not your friend.

By the time Orion reluctantly says yes to Dark’s impromptu invitation for adventure (by which point we’ve caught a healthy glimpse of the film’s extremely likeable and occasionally gallows sense of humor), the plot, in one swift move, very gingerly slides your expectations out of your pocket before cheekily snapping it over its knee and tossing the pieces into the nearest woodchipper.

It would be a grand disservice to unpack the specifics of what that aforementioned move is, but just know that this twist quickly blossoms into something much more on both a literal and thematic level, and will keep first-time viewers guessing until the very end while simultaneously making a very strong case for Orion and the Dark‘s rewatch potential.

Orion’s journey, subversive as it ends up being, is still as important and universal (which is to say, very important and absolutely universal) as you’d expect it to be from the outset, but Dark’s character arc is nothing to sneeze at, either. Dark initially suffers from a deep insecurity brought on from being so loathed by so many (an insecurity that he only makes worse by comparing himself to the charismatic Light, and there are no prizes for guessing where that confidence comes from). By the end of the film, however, Dark learns—and teaches us—that while our self-image will always be influenced by the perceptions of others, it’s important to put that stock into the people who love you (an idea that the twist bolsters with particular significance).

His journey tangentially connects with the overtones of Orion and the Dark, as there’s a common theme in the importance of nurturing one’s relationship to fear and the nature of interpersonal and familial relationships. But, it also understands not to spend too much time keeping us from the key piece of the puzzle that is Orion’s journey, and thereby succeeds as a thoughtful side dish alongside the film’s wise main course.

By the middle of the film, we’re introduced to the rest of the Night Entities, who are essentially Dark’s work friends; Quiet, Insomnia, Sleep, Unexplained Noises, and Sweet Dreams.

I know what you’re thinking; “Oh, look, a bunch of colorful, quirky side characters who all have a cute talent that more-or-less defines their role in the story and their characterization as a whole.” I’m here to say that that’s pretty much exactly what they are, and if Kaufman had been a single iota less diligent in threading this particular needle, it would have been to Orion and the Dark‘s detriment. But, somehow, some way, they all fulfill their duties as charming—and, more often than not, genuinely funny—bits of supplementary connective tissue that elevate the film rather than drag it down.

At this point, I’m starting to question my commitment to not spilling the beans on the film’s swirling plot twist, but Orion as he is by the end of the film would be extremely disappointed with me if I let my fear of potentially not saying enough without spoilers control me. So, I shall press on by saying that, near the end of the film, Orion and his kind-of-new friends find themselves right back where he started; trying to logic his way out of a situation where logic has no real power, and Kaufman, in a stroke of delectably sneaky genius, reminds us of exactly that; that discomfort should not be treated as an enemy to be avoided, but as a sloppy roommate that you just have to put up with sometimes if you want to afford to live in the beautiful city we call “life.”

When all is said and done, there remain a handful of scenes and sequences that feel far too easy and safe in comparison to the rest of the film’s ambition, but those are few and far between to the point that I can’t even think of a way to meaningfully break them down as a flaw, even if it is still a flaw at the end of the day and should be noted as such.

To that end, Orion and the Dark is about as close to must-watch status as any children’s film could hope to be, and it does so by being as nutritious a watch for the adults in the room. Indeed, whether you’re still making your way through elementary school, having a nostalgic moment during your first weekend in your college dorm, or are closer to retirement than you care to admit, everyone will find something to appreciate in this fetchingly animated and intelligently written directorial debut from Sean Charmatz, who’s hopefully gearing up for his next project as we speak.