The narrative takes a fantastical turn when the "Dark" itself—a large, hooded, yet surprisingly friendly entity voiced by Paul Walter Hauser in the film—manifests in Orion's bedroom. Tired of being feared and misunderstood, Dark invites Orion on a global "take your kid to work" journey to show him the beauty and necessity of the night.
'Orion and the Dark' Review: A Bewildering Cartoon Bedtime Story Orion and the Dark
If you sit down to watch DreamWorks’ Orion and the Dark expecting that tired trope, you are in for a beautiful, existential, and surprisingly profound surprise. The narrative takes a fantastical turn when the
The catalyst for the story is the arrival of Dark. In most folklore and animation, darkness is synonymous with evil. It is the domain of villains, the time of danger, and the color of malice. Orion and the Dark subverts this trope entirely. Here, Dark is not a monster, but a functionary—a tired, somewhat bureaucratic, yet imposing figure who has a job to do. The catalyst for the story is the arrival of Dark
. Originally a celebrated picture book by Emma Yarlett (2015) and recently adapted into a Netflix animated feature (2024), the story follows Orion, an 11-year-old boy paralyzed by a seemingly endless list of fears. While he worries about everything from killer clowns to overflowing toilets, his greatest nemesis is the dark. A Literal Encounter with Fear
