Don't be Afraid of the Dark, just bad movies

Hello to you, the blog reading public!  I’m TheCinemaChick and I really need to get a life, outside of the movie theater.  Well, today I’m here to discuss yet another movie that I had high hopes for.

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark

It comes to us from the brilliant mind of Guillermo Del Toro.  I have to admit, I’m a fan of his work.  He manages to use cinematography in creative ways.  In all the movies of his I’ve seen (which isn’t a lot because I wasn’t aware he’s done so much) I’ve always gotten this wonderful sense of whimsy from it.  He creates a fantasy world that’s separate from reality and sucks you into believing it.  There were several scenes that were shot so beautifully that I was in awe.  It’s almost as if there is a secret Wonderland placed inside the film to sort of distract you from the tension of the horror plot.

Well, distract isn’t the best word.  The scene I have in mind is one where Sally, the main character, is simply standing by a small fountain, looking at some koi fish.  It’s not complex or overdone.  The colors are muted, except for her pink coat.  We get to see the scene from three different angles, a zoom in, a close up, then underwater looking up at her.  While this is going on, there is a voiceover for Kim (her potential stepmother), expressing her concern for Sally.  So we’re watching something calm and peaceful but focusing on the fear and panic of the voice.

So, artistically and technically, I’d call this film a success.

However, I do have to take the story and plot into consideration, which is where Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark failed miserably for me.

I know the plot is supposed to be the “fairies” as they’re referred to in the house and Sally getting involved with them.  Well, for a horror movie, this didn’t cut it.  You see, horror is meant to shock and frighten while this only gave me a few “jump scares”, which are pops of fear.  Overall, I did not get a sense of being frightened or even mildly scared.  I didn’t even have a sense of tension throughout.  Del Toro seemed to focus more on creating the fantasy and the visual aspect that he forgot to add in a decent plot.

I wanted to like this movie, I really did.  I was genuinely excited to see it and thought “Guillermo Del Toro movie!  YAY!” but I left thinking, “Well…it was pretty.”  The visuals of the film can’t disguise the fact that the plot is paper thin.  It never reached the point where I wanted to jump out of my chair or even care.  There were several times towards the end where I began yawning and thinking of things I still needed to do that day.  Sure, I could have walked out but I paid to see it, I’m getting my money’s worth out of this.  I won’t be seeing it again though.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Guillermo Del Toro, you’ll enjoy this.  I liked the story about the “fairies” and how they prey on certain people.  The opening scene was amazing and it was the only time when I was genuinely freaked out.

I wanted more but the film just never gave it to me. 

Well, I’m looking ahead to see what movies I’ll see next and so far, I’m not thrilled about my options.  There isn’t much out there now nor have I become interested in previews for anything.  I mean, yes I’m drooling over The Avengers and I’m dying to see the next installment of Batman but those will be for the next summer movie season.

Welcome to the fall movie season.

I’m TheCinemaChick and I waste money on films so you know if its worth seeing.