Featured Audience Ratings

• Dean !

  
  An ok atmospheric gothic tale, not really a horror film to be honest. It probably could have got a 12 rating. The house and little creatures make the film which has an eerie feel to it with the little whispered voices. Overall though it's a bit slow and not much happens, could… More
  An ok atmospheric gothic tale, not really a horror film to be honest. It probably could have got a 12 rating. The house and little creatures make the film which has an eerie feel to it with the little whispered voices. Overall though it's a bit slow and not much happens, could have been better.

• Tyler R

  
  This is actually an interesting movie. In Don't Be Afraid of The Dark, this couple is restoring their mansion and their daughter starts to experience typical paranormal stuff. The usual whispering and noises in the night so it's obviously nothing new in terms of delivering… More
  This is actually an interesting movie. In Don't Be Afraid of The Dark, this couple is restoring their mansion and their daughter starts to experience typical paranormal stuff. The usual whispering and noises in the night so it's obviously nothing new in terms of delivering something genuinely scary. The film starts off really slow. There wasn't really anything to hook me in and it took quite sometime for something to actually happen. The big thing to happen is the little girl pretty much invites the weird creatures in her house like the dumbshit she is. The weirdest part of the movie is the design of the things haunting them. They're not exactly ghosts, as a matter of fact, they remind me of those little creatures from the 1986 movie, Critters. The creatures aren't even that scary. I'd be more annoyed than scared if they were in my house. Another flaw the movie has is that the scares are really cheap. There's the occasional jump scare every now and then and if there's anything I hate most about horror movie cliches are the jump scares. It's not that I fall for them easily, I just think a psychological way of scaring people is more effective. The acting in the film is good though. I've never been a fan of Guy Pearce, but he was good in the movie. Katie Holmes was good too, but nothing special, but I think the little girl in the movie had the best performance. It was actually surprising how believable she was. The film is flawed and it was pretty forgettable. The pacing was slow and uneven, it was predictable, the ending was pretty stupid as well and despite some good acting and a few pretty creepy scenes, it just wasn't enough to actually make me afraid of the dark.

• Dead A

  
  I liked the ending.

• Luke B

  
  Guillermo Del Toro produces this remake of the classic 70's TV movie and removes it of all fear in the process. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark has a new family moving into an old spooky house. There's the husband, his new and younger wife, and his introspective kid. Soon… More
  Guillermo Del Toro produces this remake of the classic 70's TV movie and removes it of all fear in the process. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark has a new family moving into an old spooky house. There's the husband, his new and younger wife, and his introspective kid. Soon the little girl is tormented by little tooth fairy gremlin type things. Nobody believes her and would much rather believe she's crazy. The biggest problem we have here is that the script makes no sense. We are constantly given situations in which people would definitely believe this little girl. One scene is put down to being an 'accident'. What? Did he fall down on a pair of scissors 50 times? Later there's a shot of a severed demon foot, and nothing is made of it. Madison gives a convincing performance, but you'd suspect that Pearce would either have her committed or try and find out what is going on. But as always he just puts it down to acting out. The film also doesn't try very hard to scare, maybe for a younger audience this will be terrifying. Compared to the original, this is awful. That had a grown woman instead of a little girl in the lead, and she actually considered that she was going crazy. Anyone familiar with horror will have experienced this before.

• Jason C

  
  A house haunted by deranged tooth fairies? Really? I guess this is a remake. Yeah, there's apparently at least two imbeciles who thought this was a good idea. Nonsense like this might have passed as horror in the early 70's, but I don't find anything that can be… More
  A house haunted by deranged tooth fairies? Really? I guess this is a remake. Yeah, there's apparently at least two imbeciles who thought this was a good idea. Nonsense like this might have passed as horror in the early 70's, but I don't find anything that can be tamed with a mouse trap and some RAID all that threatening. In case you haven't already figured it out, this movie was stupid. Avoid.

• Melvin W

  
  Creature: Turn off the lights. "Fear is Never Make Believe" What could have been. I had been wanting to see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark for quite some time now. Why is obvious; it's written and produced by none other than Guillermo del Toro. So I was excited. A… More
  Creature: Turn off the lights. "Fear is Never Make Believe" What could have been. I had been wanting to see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark for quite some time now. Why is obvious; it's written and produced by none other than Guillermo del Toro. So I was excited. A lot of the film resembles a lot of his gothic horror elements. The atmosphere is initially creepy as hell and the music fits the mood perfectly. Throughout the first 20 or 30 minutes, I still thought this was going to be a fantastic film. I guess it all goes wrong exactly when it all goes wrong for the little girl, Sally. When the creatures come out and we see them, it was just laughable. If those things are your scare factor, you should probably keep them out of sight for as long as possible. They are shown way too early and way too often to have any real effect at all on the viewer. When their hidden away at the start and all we get is whispers from behind vents, it is somewhat effective; but out in plain sight, is a completely different story altogether.  Now I'm not going to say this is completely worthless because it is not. It feels like a great horror film. The setting is perfect and the lighting is used well. It feels like a really good haunted house movie throughout, except that it's a creature movie and not a ghost one. I don't think the movie deserved to be completely dismissed like it was, but that reaction is understandable because it is coming from del Toro, and we have come to expect so much more from him. So it isn't all bad, but it could have been so much more with a few tweaks to the story, and possibly some scarier "creatures."

• Sergio G

  
  Another classic story of Guillermo del Toro. Honestly, there isn't anymore good horror movies. An this is not an exception. Is good from the point of view of a fantasy/suspense movie, but that's it. It's a like a good dark fairy tale. The most horrifying thing is that… More
  Another classic story of Guillermo del Toro. Honestly, there isn't anymore good horror movies. An this is not an exception. Is good from the point of view of a fantasy/suspense movie, but that's it. It's a like a good dark fairy tale. The most horrifying thing is that Katie Holmes accepted this role and NOT The Dark Knight .

• Film C

  
  Well its watchable, however it isnt a great horror, it isnt scary and apart from one scene towards the end involving Katie Holmes where it really looked painful and i cringe that was the only decent scene! Good actors however poor movie and really slow!

• Summer W

  
  An error in the listing says this is the 1973 version, which isn't the case. Anyway, this movie wanted to be good, but it wasn't. Not only was it not scary, but it was downright goofy at times-- I felt sorry for the cast. I'm only giving it two stars because the cast… More
  An error in the listing says this is the 1973 version, which isn't the case. Anyway, this movie wanted to be good, but it wasn't. Not only was it not scary, but it was downright goofy at times-- I felt sorry for the cast. I'm only giving it two stars because the cast did their job the best they could, and the cinematography was actually rather good. It was, if nothing else, an attractive film.

• Mark W

  
  Having delivered such quality horror films in the past with "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan Labyrinth", Guillermo Del Toro does the producing and writing duties on this. He had the intention of directing it himself but due to a hectic schedule, the directing… More
  Having delivered such quality horror films in the past with "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan Labyrinth", Guillermo Del Toro does the producing and writing duties on this. He had the intention of directing it himself but due to a hectic schedule, the directing reins were handed to first time feature director Troy Nixey. Maybe, if Del Toro had helmed this, it wouldn't have been as uneventful. But then, he did write the script, which is the films ultimate letdown. Young Sally (Bailee Madison), who's neurotic, overmedicated, and feels unloved, is sent to live with her divorced father, Alex (Guy Pearce). He's renovating a spooky old mansion with his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes), but the house has a terrible history. It doesn't take long for the little girl to hear strange voices, calling to her from a boarded-up basement, behind a furnace vent. The voices belong to monstrous little creatures who mean to overtake her as their latest "friend." It builds slowly and assuredly the way a good horror story should. It has the vulnerable child; the disbelieving parents; the grand, dark mansion with it's enigmatic groundskeeper and the always reliable, things that go bump in the night. With everything place, you expect it to take off at some point, but it never does. The good use of atmosphere is wasted and the acting is wooden but even they are overshadowed by a sluggish pace and dull formulaic script. When the little creatures are finally revealed, it looks like it may be onto something but as impressive as they are, they are ultimately underused. Even they couldn't prevent the tediousness this film has. About half way in, my suspicions were realised as this was never really going to go anywhere and as a result my interest waned. The fact that this film lay in limbo for 2 years, before being released, says it all really. Like so many horror films (and remakes) these days, it promises so much but delivers so little.

• JY S

  
  With the help of a dark fantasy screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Troy Nixey's <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i> is easily a watchable thriller.<p>Highly misconstrued as a horror, <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i>, while containing… More
  With the help of a dark fantasy screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Troy Nixey's <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i> is easily a watchable thriller.<p>Highly misconstrued as a horror, <i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</i>, while containing elements of a horror, doesn't play out like one. The 95 minute story is a tad slow, but the mystery behind the "fairies" contain high interest value from beginning to end.</p><p>There aren't any scares to be had and the violence isn't overly intense or gruesome; however, there is just enough to back up an R rating. The CG and the design of the "fairies" is unique and nicely done. The film isn't shy about unleashing them either, although it does take a while for them to be fully revealed.</p><p>Guy Pearce doesn't have much of a likable character, which is a disappointment because he isn't the villain of the picture. Katie Holmes on the other hand, becomes more engaging as the film progresses. The young Bailee Madison plays a convincing girl who is tormented by the creatures of the dark.</p><p><i>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark's</i> lack of plot details and heavy character development keeps it from being a great film, but a good fantasy thriller it still is.</p>

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Alan Dale, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake, Edwina Ritchard, Garry McDonald, Emelia Burns, Guillermo del Toro Director: Troy Nixey Summary: Soon after moving in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes), young… More
  Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison, Alan Dale, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake, Edwina Ritchard, Garry McDonald, Emelia Burns, Guillermo del Toro Director: Troy Nixey Summary: Soon after moving in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes), young Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) discovers she isn't alone in the house: strange creatures live there -- and they might not be as friendly as Sally thinks they are. My Thoughts: "The film had the creepy factor and the acting was solid, but the film just ran too long. I just kept thinking like come on get going. Never a good sign. I have not seen the first film and honestly didn't know there was one. Bailee Madison was adorable and really good in this film. I would say it's worth seeing at least once."

• Jeff "

  
  The remake of Don't be Afraid of the Dark is pretty good. The film relies on atmosphere to create effective horror and tension, and is a key component to create an exhilarating horror film. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a chilling film that effectively uses atmosphere to… More
  The remake of Don't be Afraid of the Dark is pretty good. The film relies on atmosphere to create effective horror and tension, and is a key component to create an exhilarating horror film. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a chilling film that effectively uses atmosphere to create the tension on-screen. I'm usually pretty picky when it comes to remakes, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this film was. Sure the film isn't flawless by any means, but it has all the components for an effective horror film. Director Troy Nixey gives this film the necessary look for it to be an effective horror film. What separates Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark from other remakes is that other remakes rely purely on the CGI to create the tension, which is an aspect this film does for the creatures of course; but it also adds the necessary atmosphere that a horror film needs to be scary, and memorable. This is a good film that blends elements of the haunted house genre with the traditional del Toro monster to create an effective, chilling and overall fun remake of a classic film. I very enjoyed the performances of the actors here, I really like the fact that Guy Pearce was in this film, as I think he's a phenomenal actor, and in my opinion quite underrated. Katie Holmes despite the haters is good as well, and I very much enjoyed her as well. However the key performance of this film, the performance that made this film believable is Bailee Madison as Sally, she's a perfect choice to play the lead, and she displays great talent. Madison definitely has a bright career ahead of her. As far as remakes are concerned, I would list this film as one of my favorite remakes along with the Fright Night remake. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a film that deserves to be on the very short list of watchable remakes. Flawed, but effective, if you're looking for a tension filled horror film, give this one a shot.

• Crash E

  
  attractive beginning force you to sit still on the couch to watch the next events, but these events turned the movie to a mediocre horror thriller.

• Steve K

  
  Under-developed with paper thing characters and an unlikable protagonist. And even worse, frequently boring. A misfire.

• Emil K

  
  Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is once again further proof of Guillermo Del Toro's over-hyped reputation as a somekind of horror-fantasy wonderkid. Man who is responsible of producing film this bad and writing story this stupid, shows nothing more than a bad taste over films he… More
  Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is once again further proof of Guillermo Del Toro's over-hyped reputation as a somekind of horror-fantasy wonderkid. Man who is responsible of producing film this bad and writing story this stupid, shows nothing more than a bad taste over films he is making. Here is a film that has every possible horror-cliche available. We have this old spooky mansion and a family with a small kid freshly moved in there. There is dark basement with creepy voices and some nasty little creatures that has plans for the family. There is even a cheap rip-off from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho at one point. Practically director Troy Nixey has throwed in everything he has learned from other horror-films and he is not that good as a mimic. Result is a total catastrophe. This is honestly one of the most annoying and worst films i've seen for a while. It is like Gremlins meets Critters meets The Haunting and if that didn't sound bad enough to you enough i can assure you, it is laugh out loud bad. The moment the supernatural twist is presented for the viewer, from that moment on all the credibility left in story is thrown out of the window. This film just does not make any sense and it's characters act like fools. It was truly painstakingly frustrating to sit through something this bad. I am gonna say it, i truly hated every second of this abysmally bad film.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  three stars!!

• Jim C

  
  Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is the classic horror film we have waited a long time for. The story is about a father named Alex (Guy Pearce) who has just moved into a new house with his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) and his daughter Sally (Bailee Madison). When exploring the… More
  Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is the classic horror film we have waited a long time for. The story is about a father named Alex (Guy Pearce) who has just moved into a new house with his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) and his daughter Sally (Bailee Madison). When exploring the backyard, Sally discovers a window to a basement, and then they find a door to this mysterious basement. When seeing a fireplace in the basement and voices coming from it, Sally is curious and they tell her they will be friends if she opens the fireplace, and when she does, it will be the biggest mistake of Sally's life. The plot of the film was exactly what I expected, a creepy fairy tale where we are supposed to relate to Sally and how she is the only one seeing these things, it is not as scary as I hoped, but its a nail biting creepy film that grabs our attention with how they make us feel like what if this was our family this was happening too. The cast was amazing, they really made you think "what if this was my family?". Guy Pearce does a good job with his screen time, but he's not in this as much as you would think. Katie Holmes was good too, she played her part well and to the script. But Bailee Madison is the real show stealer, people I tell you her performance was amazing, she knew what to do, how to act, and what needed to be done to make a great horror film, I now think I like her after her horrible acting in Just Go With It. The horror was my main problem, you see maybe it was just me, but it was not nearly as scary a I hoped, but still, it had its nail biting and creepy moments. The monsters in the movie were also not very scary when you see them, when hearing them they were creepy, but when we have to see them it was not very scary at all. This movie is the first horror film of 2011, and so far it looks like a good start for this genre this year, and I realize many people didn't enjoy it, but I still found it enjoyable and fun to watch.

• Mike S

  
  Fails as a horror film, but if you look to the entertainment value, it wasn't too shabby. I expected so much more though from the director behind such a finely crafted film like <i>Pan's Labyrinth</i>. This has very little in common with said work of art, as it… More
  Fails as a horror film, but if you look to the entertainment value, it wasn't too shabby. I expected so much more though from the director behind such a finely crafted film like <i>Pan's Labyrinth</i>. This has very little in common with said work of art, as it leans more towards the second-rate mass productions of the Hollywood assembly line. Not very scary at all, except for a few parts in the beginning, and it's riddled with plot holes that left me with a lot of unanswered questions. Disappointing to say the least, and clearly sub-par for Guillermo.

• Matheus C

  
  If it fails as a genuine horror film (unless you are scared by digital goblins), it succeeds as a dark gothich fantasy film, in the same grounds as del Toro's own "El Laberinto del Fauno". It is a by the numbers horror flick (including the all too wise librarian who… More
  If it fails as a genuine horror film (unless you are scared by digital goblins), it succeeds as a dark gothich fantasy film, in the same grounds as del Toro's own "El Laberinto del Fauno". It is a by the numbers horror flick (including the all too wise librarian who manages to explain the whole plot), but there is enough atmospheric imagery and solid acting by the lead child actor to make it interesting.

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