A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.

‘Orion and the Dark’, a new Netflix animation written by Charlie Kaufman, is a sweet animation about a quiet, shy and lonely boy who learns to come out of his shell after meeting ‘Dark’, an entity who controls the darkness at night. It is a movie that feels similar in its construction of a shadow world to ‘Inside Out’, with the added uniqueness of a Charlie Kaufman screenplay to probe into some darker, more existential themes than your average animation.

The film follows 11-year-old Orion (Jacob Tremblay), an anxious kid who has a list of fears as long as your arm which prevent him from making friends and talking to his crush at school. One of his worst fears is the darkness, so when he is greeted by ‘Dark’ (Paul Walter Hauser) one night, the embodiment of that fear, he is forced to confront that fear by taking a trip with ‘Dark’ where he is able to meet other night entities and realise that things aren’t so scary. It is a solid concept, well told, with relatable themes for both kids and any adults who can remember back to the worries you had as a child that felt huge at the time, but less so from the vantage point of adult life. The voicework is strong, with Tremblay and Hauser bouncing off each other well, and the animation and world building bringing the story to life well.

‘Orion and the Dark’ is a sweet and inventive new animation from Charlie Kaufman, marking his first movie that I’d say is aimed primarily at children, but retaining his trademark style.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Sean Charmatz

Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks, Natasha Demetriou, Ike Barinholtz, Golda Rosheuvel, Nat Faxon, Aparna Nancheria and Carla Gugino

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt28066777/