Orion and the Dark

Name: Orion and the Dark
Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation
Released: February 2, 2024
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Aparna Nancherla, Golda Rosheuvel, Jacob Tremblay, Matt Dellapina, Paul Walter Hauser

2024

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Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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Orion And The Dark

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Movie Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): February 2, 2024

Starring: Aparna Nancherla, Golda Rosheuvel, Jacob Tremblay, Matt Dellapina, Paul Walter Hauser, Werner Herzog

Summary: Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) seems a lot like your average elementary school kid–shy, unassuming, harboring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, and even falling off of aOrion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) seems a lot like your average elementary school kid–shy, unassuming, harboring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, and even falling off of a cliff. But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the dark. So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser) whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there's nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair gets closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown – to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.… Expand

Director: Sean Charmatz

Genre(s): Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Comedy, Animation, Family

Runtime: 90 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Bob Strauss

Feb 1, 2024

The movie is silly and fun enough to enchant younger audiences, not to mention impart life-balance lessons that kids from 8 to 80 ought to know. Read full review

Screen Rant Ferdosa Abdi

Feb 2, 2024

From its endearing animation style, which blends a 2D aesthetic with 3D technology, to its poignant and refreshing writing, Orion and the Dark is a true joy to watch. Read full review

Barry Hertz

Jan 29, 2024

Brought to life with a smooth and almost restrained kind of animation – all rounded edges and frames designed to breathe, rather than hyperactively cram in as much action as possible – and paced with a confident speed, Orion and the Dark will charm and entrance. Read full review

Polygon Petrana Radulovic

Feb 9, 2024

What starts out as a sweet fairy tale turns into a metatextual romp that spirals in and out of itself, and gets deeply weird and weirdly deep. Sean Charmatz’s debut animated feature is an odd little gem that defies expectations. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Feb 2, 2024

With sharp character design, entertaining dialogue, and positive messaging, “Orion and the Dark” is an early-year Netflix original surprise. Read full review

Mike Scott

Jan 29, 2024

So, while “Orion and the Dark” is on one hand a fun and briskly paced fantasy-adventure, it also functions nicely as a smart, thoughtful and often trippy exploration of existential dread. Read full review

Mark Kennedy

Feb 1, 2024

Orion and the Dark is about fear and overcoming it but this movie directed by Sean Charmatz has too much junk clogging up the vision. Read full review

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