Trailer for the movie "Orion and the Darkness" (Netflix)

Charlie Kaufman is famous for his philosophical films that are considered landmarks in cinema, such as “Being John Malkovich,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” ( I'm Thinking of Ending Things), and "Anomalisa", but he recently decided to write for children and delve into the world of family animation through the movie "Orion and the Dark".

If you know Kaufman's works, you will expect that "Orion and the Darkness" will also be directed to you, regardless of your age. You will also expect that it will expose you to new discoveries or confrontations that you had not expected.

This was confirmed by the audience and critics who found the work very mature, and not just a cartoon film for entertainment as much as it was made in a way that allows viewers to explore their areas of anxiety and self-doubt.

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However, Kaufman made the film's content suitable for young people as well, specifically the members of the "Alpha" generation, who are characterized by intelligence, awareness, and an understandable and logical fear of the world in which we live.

“Orion and the Darkness” belongs to the adventure and fantasy category, and it is produced by “DreamWork Animation” and distributed by “Netflix” and directed by Sean Charmatz in his first feature film, with a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman.

As for the vocal performance, it was participated by Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Colin Hanks, Mia Akemi Brown, Ike Barinholtz, Nat Faxon, Golda Rosheuvel, Natasia Demetriou, and Aparna Nancherla.

Although the story of the work was adapted from a children's book by British author and illustrator Emma Yarlett, targeting children under the age of 6 to teach them how to confront their fears, Kaufman took the core of the basic idea and developed it in a more wild way, both in terms of plot and narrative.

A bedtime story through Kaufman's eyes

"Orion and the Darkness" is about Orion, an 11-year-old boy who is afraid of everything: dogs, bees, the ocean, falling from skyscrapers, killer clowns, and bullies.

But what he fears most is the dark.

As soon as he finds himself alone at night, his imagination creates all his frightening ghosts due to his frequent grumbling, complaining, and even screaming every evening, and the “dark” being materializes for him one night and insists on taking Orion with him during his night work, hoping to rid him of the panic that dominates his entire life.

During the journey, Orion gets to know other nocturnal creatures, such as “calm,” “insomnia,” “sleep,” “sweet dreams,” “noise,” and “light,” before he shares an adventure with them that he will never forget, and in conjunction with what is happening, a creation arises between him and the darkness. A friendship helps the two confront their fears. While Orion fears the unknown, the Darkness fears being misjudged and ostracized or ignored because of the rumors and childish perceptions woven around him that contradict his true, kind and loving self.

A story within a story

At first glance, the film will seem simple and ordinary, similar to a Pixar film. We even glimpse a lot of the atmosphere of the movie “Inside Out,” but Kaufman soon presents us with the first surprise, and the entire events are nothing but a bedtime story narrated by Orion the father in the ears of his frightened daughter, Hypatia. Darkness in turn.

We see Orion mature and old, yet part of his old fears still reside in him. He tells the story perhaps to calm him, not his daughter, because adults also have their fears and need from time to time to feel safe about the world.

As the events unfold, the narrative twists again and the threads intertwine when the daughter is forced to enter the story in an attempt to help the child Orion put an end to the story and return to his original world.

Once again, Kaufman imposes his surreal stamp on a children's film, as the daughter addresses the crisis using a poem before the film ends with a satirical treatment of the idea of ​​time travel.

 For adults only or is it suitable for children?

If you are a family man, you ask yourself: Is “Orion and the Darkness” suitable for children?

You are not alone in raising this question, especially with the atmosphere known for Kaufman's usual works that combine philosophy, melancholy, and existential ideas.

Although the film is rated as a family-friendly movie and is suitable for children aged 7, it contains a handful of nightmares and scenes that some children may find terrifying, such as the method the sleeping creature uses to subjugate humans to its influence or the phrases that insomniacs use to keep humans awake until the morning.

Kaufman also presents some existential ideas with clear and prominent references. The hero even appears in one scene while reading a book entitled “Nihilism versus Existentialism for Children,” while we see an insomniac whispering to someone at night, “What if life is a cosmic accident and my existence has no meaning?”

These are ideas that, although they frightened some people from exposing their children to such work and made them find it inappropriate, others found them an ideal opportunity to open new horizons for their children and discuss their impressions of working together later.

The work included many positive messages, and was keen to encourage young people not to allow their fears to prevent them from living their normal lives and exploring the world, even if they did so in a dark, unusual or expected way.

Technically, the film received many positive reviews, as critics praised the direction, dialogue, complex, non-linear narrative, and the cartoons that were used to serve the plot.

“Orion and the Darkness” is a philosophical, fantasy-themed story that tells the story of a child who has many fears about the world, some of which may be exaggerated, others are well-deserved, and if in fact he suffers from a crisis of “uncertainty,” he is not sure of the outcome of his decisions or actions.

Between fear of the unknown, humiliation, rejection, and death, he stands motionless.

But fate gives him a golden opportunity to dispel his fears. Should he take advantage of it or remain succumbed to terror?

Source: Al Jazeera