Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Oh, this is the stuff. How I’ve missed great horror. American studios have, by and large, ignored producing truly great horror over mindless pablum like Final Destination 6, or Saw 23, or Nostalgic Horror Film Remake 117. Slashers, gore-fests, dead teenager movies and all the other imagination-barren dreck neglect that incredible power a great horror film can wield over its viewer: namely, that it’s the only genre that can truly encompass every emotion, running the audience through the gamut so thoroughly that they’re exhausted and fully satisfied at the end. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is…

CinemaSerf

6.0

Mar 9, 2024

Well, aside from a bit of a "Neighbours" reunion between Guy Pearce and Alan Dale, there's not really much to say about this film. Pearce is "Alex" who, with girlfriend "Kim" (Katie Holmes), has set up home in a stately pile where his daughter "Sally" (Bailee Madison) discovers an hitherto long sealed up cellar. Like most brats her age, she cannot leave well alone - despite warnings from the wary "Harris" (Jack Thompson) - a relative of the previous owner who disappeared under mysterious circumstances - and so soon she is reaping the rewards for her meddling. What now ensues reminded me of a w…