Orion and the dark review

"Orion and the Dark" is about a little boy who is afraid of almost everything. He fears the dark, clowns, cell phone waves causing cancer, monsters, haircuts, mosquito bites getting infected, falling off a skyscraper, saying good morning and sounding like Goob dorning!, bees, dogs, and the ocean. He is anxious about being responsible for his team losing and terrified of locker rooms and Richie Panic, who calls him crying Orion. Richie bullies him, taking his art book and turning to a page where he has written all the things he fears, including Richie's name. Just before Richie walks away after bullying him, Orion says thank you to Richie.

He doesn't know why he did that but is quite disappointed in himself for not being able to stand up for himself.

The school had to visit the planetarium, but Richie didn't give his parents his permission slip. He fears being packed inside the school bus alongside his classmates. He is scared the bus might crash, and if they make it to the planetarium, the giant models of the solar system hanging from the ceiling might fall on him.

He really likes Lisa but can't walk up to her. He is afraid that if he goes to the planetarium, sits next to her, and their hands touch, he will have a panic attack and become a running joke around the school. So, he hides his permission slip from his parents. When his teacher asks him, he says his parents won't let him go to the planetarium and that they don't believe in space, but it's all lies.

He is also afraid of coming back home and finding his parents have sold their house and moved while he was at school. His fear is stopping him from doing a lot of things.

His dad finds the permission slip under the couch but he tells his parents he doesn't want to go. That night, his mom checks on him before bedtime. When she finishes, she turns off the light. He jumps from the bed and asks her to read him a bedtime story, but she doesn't have time, so he asks her to leave the door open so that light can come in, which she does.

When she leaves, he inserts different socket lights that blow off due to high voltage, and he panics. Of all the things he is afraid of, he is most afraid of the dark. He covers himself and turns on the flashlight, but it isn't working well. Soon, he starts screaming, "Darkness, why can't you leave me alone?" and darkness visits him.

Dark tells him millions of kids are afraid of him, but he is harmless. Dark doesn't like the way humans think about him. He says everyone is against him. He tells Orion that he is just a regular guy trying to do his job. He says people hate him, but he is just trying to do his job. He wishes people would give him a chance.

Orion feels bad for Dark and starts speaking with him. He tells Dark the list of people who bullied him. Dark wants to help him stop his fears and brings up an idea that will help him appreciate the beauty of the night instead of being terrified all the time. Initially, Orion refuses, but after giving it thought and remembering how he was bullied, he accepts, and Mr. Dark takes Orion for a night ride in the air.

They meet the night entities, and this is when the story becomes even more interesting. One thing is evident: Mr. Dark also has his insecurities, which he has to overcome.

This animation will give you a different way to view things if you fear the dark a lot but the story is a bit confusing.

Initial release: 2 February 2024

Director: Sean Charmatz

Distributed by: Netflix

Based on: Orion and The Dark; by Emma Yarlett

Music by: Robert Lydecker; Kevin Lax

Produced by: Peter McCown