Fear of the Dark

This was surprisingly good - you just have to realize that it is not a blood and gore fest.

Fear of the Dark is almost a purist film; it is literally a story of a couple of kids who become afraid of the dark. It is not bogged down with lure or mythos and the need to explain who what why and where (alternately, the lack of explanation could be viewed as a film weakness).

Is it clichéd? Somewhat, but the director does build enough tension to keep it interesting and scary. It is low budget so the effects are not great; however this lends itself to a certain charm and reminiscence of 80's classics.

When I first rented Fear of the Dark I was skeptical having read the reviews on this site. I have to say it was quite good and my wife was equally scared and it even made me get under the covers when I went to sleep so as not to let the Dark Things get to me. Well worth the rental and better than I thought. The monsters were as scary as the ones on the box and the story was very good. The actors did a great job at being convincing and it was a well-written well thought out movie. I kind of thought it was a good movie as it wasn't on the shelves every time I went to rent it. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in scary movies as it will make you sleep with a nightlight.

The lights are off but somebody's home in this tale of childhood fear, which builds to a climax that never quite arrives.

Jesse James plays Ryan, a 12-year-old diagnosed with acute fear of the dark, and Kevin Zegers plays Dale, his skeptical older brother. When their parents leave them alone for the evening, Ryan convinces Dale that the fear may be justified, and assorted misadventures in babysitting ensue when a storm knock out the power in their house.

The performances are better than in most thrillers, and James and Zegers are likable enough to keep you interested. It's also a treat to see Linda Purl, an actress with a disappointing career after she was a mainstay in '70s TV movies, as the boys' mother, though she's given little screen time here.

Unfortunately, as with the similarly themed "Boogeyman," the thin script and gimmicky special effects leave you longing for more. The film has a decent buildup, but no real resolution. Teenagers may be entertained by "Fear of the Dark," but adults are likely to be bored at this overly familiar tale. There's absolutely nothing to fear here.

I was shocked! I had no idea that this no name movie would be this good.It is not frightening, but it is a bit creepy, working on a fear that most had as a child, I think that is why the movie works.It is also nice to see a somewhat horror film that tries to work with something other than nudity and excessive gore. It really is worth checking out.I told some friends about it and every single one of them said that they really liked it ,one even said that she couldn't sleep that night after watching it because she was scared to death.I didn't find it as scary as all of that, but it is surly worth the 4 dollar rental and hour and a half of your time.The acting is pretty good considering there are no real big names in it.

The gist is, there's this kid who is afraid of the dark. He sees things in the dark that others do not. What culminates from his fear is one of those 'dark and stormy night' scenarios with some very intense moments loaded with suspense.

It's an excellent play on everyone's favorite childhood drama (including the Closet Monster) and the devisive measures kids take to ensure late-night safety (stay completely tucked in). I dare say the evils that await him in the pitch of night are genuinely creative and pretty darn threatening. There are some jumpy moments that renewed my faith in screenwriters and directors of the modern horror genre. I strongly urge all horror geeks to check into this one, even if you don't think it's your cup of tea. It will literally take you back to that time in place in your life when a pile of clothes in the corner of your bedroom was as threatening as the schoolyard bully--only worse!

Sure, this is not a perfect movie but it beats the heck out of the boring horror drivel that's being released these days in theaters. Why this 2002 film was so overlooked is a mystery to me. It was 1,000 times better than 'Darkness Falls' or 'They' and doesn't even compare to crappy films like 'Cabin Fever' or 'House of the Dead'. I checked this one out at a local Blockbuster and if you like things that go bump in the night, you should too!