“Orion and the Dark” is a fantasy animated film released by Netflix, directed by Sean Charmatz and written by famous writer Charlie Kaufman. The film, adapted from Emma Yarlett’s children’s book of the same title, features voice talents including Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks, Natasia Demetriou, Golda Rosheuvel, and Ike Barinholtz. After delivering several classy animated films in recent years, Netflix seems to be exploring a different direction with this project.
Orion, voiced by Tremblay, is a child plagued by an excessive fear of everything, particularly the dark. One night, Dark (Hauser), the personification of darkness, invites him on an adventure to explore the world of the night. Along the way, Orion encounters other nighttime entities, including Sweet Dream (Bassett), Noise, Insomnia, Noises, and Quiet. The night turns out to be less daunting than Orion initially thought, but things take a twist when Light (Barinholtz) appears.
The concept of darkness and light, day and night, in “Orion and the Dark” is reminiscent of Pixar’s masterpiece short film, “Day & Night” (2010). The charming portrayal of the rivalry between day and night, showcasing their unique qualities and their necessity for each other, adds a meaningful touch to the narrative. While “Orion and the Dark” shares a similar thematic substance and message, it takes a more complex and absurd approach, in line with Kaufman’s distinctive style seen in scripts for films like “Adaptation” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” However, this complexity may feel a bit overwhelming this time around.
Dialogue like, “They build a city that blocks out the stars and they put up fake stars to look at?” raises a question about the authenticity of a child’s expression. While it’s possible for a child to articulate such thoughts, it may come across as a bit too sophisticated. The film features many such “intelligent” dialogues, and it becomes apparent that they don’t align with the expected level of a child’s communication. The unique concept is there, but the packaging and execution seem overly intricate and convoluted for a child audience. For older viewers, especially cinephiles, deciphering the plot’s direction might not pose a challenge, as the central message is quite apparent. Pixar’s “Day & Night” accomplished a similar theme in a brilliant and classy manner.
“Orion and the Dark” attempts to address a simple theme in a complicated and over-the-top way, especially for its target audience. While adult audiences, particularly cinephiles, may grasp the depth of the story with its metaphors and existential problems faced by Dark, the film might miss the mark for its primary demographic. Other animation studios, such as Pixar and Studio Ghibli, with their “heavy” films like “Inside Out,” “Toy Story 4,” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” opt for a more universal approach that doesn’t disregard their main target audience. Perhaps the films become even more interesting when viewers revisit them as they grow older, discovering deeper meanings than when they first watched them.
