Orion and the Dark

Despite it being so early on, Charlie Kaufman and Sean Charmatz deliver the first truly great animated film of the year with Orion and the Dark. Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser lead this existential fantasy film, telling the story of a young boy named Orion (Tremblay) who is afraid of everything until he meets the living embodiment of the dark (Hauser). Accompanied by the other entities of the dark, they travel on a metaphysical journey through the night. 

Legendary writer Charlie Kaufman has penned some of my personal favorite films of all time, with Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and his three directorial features (Synecdoche New York, Anomalisa, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things) all being masterpieces in my eyes. He has a writing style that really strikes a chord with me. His ideas are so elaborate, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant. Orion and the Dark is definitely a different kind of film for Kaufman as his first family-friendly script. But despite the odds, I think he manages to pull it off, creating a script just as great as usual. It truly is wonderfully written, managing to be witty, innovative, and just as deep as his other works despite the limitations of appealing to the target audience. This is accentuated by the fantastic visual style of the film, which makes it feels as though you are traveling along with the characters in the film through the night. 

This film seems so genuine and fulfilled by what it is trying to do. I was able to deeply connect with Kaufman’s script due to how reminiscent it was of my youth. The casting choices for all of these beings of the night feel perfect and precise. Paul Walter Hauser as Dark, Angela Bassett as Dreams, Golda Rosheuel as Unexplained Noises, Nat Faxon as Insomnia, and especially Aparna Nancherla as Quiet and Natasia Demetriou’s superb comedic turn as Sleep all perfectly encapsulate these beings’ quirks and specific personality traits. 

However, the film can fall a bit flat at times because of a few choices with the animation. The lower TV-level budget is apparent at points, and it can mess with the immersion that the film normally has. For the most part, though, this film manages to be funny, heartfelt, and thought-provoking. Orion and the Dark is a truly multigenerational film that can and should be enjoyed by all ages. 

8/10