Orion and the Dark

"Hello Darkness, my new friend."

2024 1h 30m EN

😐

6.5

MID

🔥

91%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.3

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 698🍅91%Rotten Tomatoes●72Metacritic★6.3IMDB · 18,691

AnimationFamilyComedyFantasyAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Hello Darkness, my new friend.”

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Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

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Cast

Jacob Tremblay
Orion (voice)
Paul Walter Hauser
Dark (voice)
Angela Bassett
Sweet Dreams (voice)
Colin Hanks
Adult Orion (voice)
Natasia Demetriou
Sleep (voice)
Golda Rosheuvel
Unexplained Noises (voice)
Nat Faxon
Insomnia (voice)
Aparna Nancherla
Quiet (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sean Charmatz
Writers: Kent Osborne, Leah Artwick, Lyle Nagy
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Robert Lydecker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kevin Sukho Lee shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser and Angela Bassett carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hello Darkness, my new friend.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt28066777 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sean Charmatz directs. Robert Lydecker scores. Kevin Sukho Lee cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 2 years ago.
3224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Original score by Robert Lydecker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Kevin Sukho Lee shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser and Angela Bassett carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Hello Darkness, my new friend.".
8IMDB entry: tt28066777 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 14 themes, including "underdog", "cat", "fear", "based on children's book".

The technical file

Original score: Robert Lydecker
Editing: Kevin Sukho Lee
VFX supervisor: M. Scott McKee
Sound: D.J. Lynch
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Orion and the Dark (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 72/100
IMDB rating: 6.3/10 · 18,691 votes
MPAA: TV-Y7

Awards

5 wins & 16 nominations total

Also by

Sean Charmatz

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2024-01-30
★ 4/10
The most significant setback that Orion and the Dark has is that it suffers from being a Netflix film. The humor falls flat and, while there is some creativity, the film reminds you of other cinematic endeavors it borrows from. It doesn’t help that the animation is bland. Some scenes in the film look unfinished because of a lack of natural shadows or depth in the human characters. Orion and the Dark will likely be dumped onto the platform and forgotten about in a matter of weeks. Full review: https://bit.ly/OrionDark
Manuel São Bento2024-02-05
★ 7/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/orion-and-the-dark-review-a-story-about-accepting-our-fears/ "Orion and the Dark preserves the essence and messages of the original tale about understanding and accepting our fears as something that characterizes us as human beings. Charlie Kaufman expands the story with narrative complexities that, aside from unnecessarily confusing structural details, thematically enrich the overall film. The mix of 2D and 3D animation makes the visual experience captivating and warm, accompanied by an equally lovely score and competent vocal performances. An easy recommendation for families and children around the world." Rating: B
Hossein2024-08-09
★ 8/10
While I wouldn't say this animation is as good as other works of Charlie Kaufman, or anything exceptional (even when you consider that its audience is children) it certainly was a joy to watch this movie. And I also got to appreciate the dark a little bit more after watching it.