Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011)Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a dark, atmospheric supernatural horror film released in 2011, directed by Troy Nixey and produced and co-written by Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1973 TV movie of the same name. The story follows Sally (Bailee Madison), a young girl sent to live with her father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) in a sprawling Rhode Island mansion. When Sally discovers a sealed basement ash pit, she unwittingly releases a colony of ancient, malevolent creatures that feed on children's teeth. Del Toro's fingerprints are all over the film's visual language — the creature design, the gothic architecture and the fairy-tale darkness are unmistakably his — and Nixey delivers a genuinely unsettling, old-fashioned horror experience that rewards fans of atmospheric, creature-driven genre cinema.Highlights The creature design — Unmistakably del Toro; the small, whispering ash creatures are genuinely creepy and unlike anything else in modern horror, with a fairy-tale menace that lingers. Bailee Madison's performance — A remarkable child performance that carries the film; Madison makes Sally's isolation and terror completely believable and keeps the audience fully invested. The mansion setting — Beautifully designed and photographed; the Blackwood estate is a character in its own right, all dark corridors, hidden rooms and gothic grandeur. The basement sequences — The film's most effective horror set pieces; claustrophobic, tense and expertly staged by Nixey with real command of atmosphere and dread. The fairy-tale tone — Del Toro's co-written script gives the film a Brothers Grimm quality that elevates it above standard haunted house fare; dark, poetic and genuinely disturbing. Disc Details Title: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Year: 2011 Director: Troy Nixey Producer: Guillermo del Toro Cast: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison Studio: Miramax / FilmDistrict Certificate: 15 Region: Region B (UK) Format: Blu-ray Runtime: 99 minutes Genre: Horror / Supernatural / Dark Fantasy Barcode: 5055201821232 ConditionCondition: VG/VG — see our Condition Grading Guide.Browse our full range of Blu-ray titles. You might also enjoy our Compact Discs or Vinyl Records.
