Fear of the Dark

It seems like 2001-2002 was prime season for movies about the dark. We had "Darkness Falls" and "They," which were hugely hyped, a bit pretentious, and fell flat. Then there was "Fear of the Dark," which got almost no attention, yet turns out to be the best of the lot.

Don't get me wrong; there are some big holes in the story (why does the big brother keep leaving his darkness-dreading brother alone? Why isn't the girlfriend at the door when big brother answers?), and the monsters are a bit too fairy-tale-ish at times. Still, the movie holds up pretty well overall. There's a tension at work as the story builds to its climax that keeps things interesting without a lot of outrightly horrifying things happening. The acting isn't bad, and at times its even good. The director and cinematographer obviously took a great deal of care in creating a general environment spookiness in a fairly normal suburban home (although the added artifice of mom's strange metal sculptures didn't hurt).

This definitely isn't a great horror film. There's not too terribly much that's original about it, and it's pretty tame by most standards. On the other hand, I couldn't help but like it... and it's certainly far better than the two similarly-themed duds that came out at around the same time.

There's potential in everything about this movie. The actors have the potential to do bigger and better things. The director could certainly go on to make better movies. If anything, I'd recommend seeing it for what it holds out in the future that were involved with a pretty good effort. As "boogie man" films go, this is one of the better ones.

Excellent drama with a good message worthy of at least an 8 out of 10. The movie centers on a child's fear of the dark and there are many scary and dramatic moments climaxing in how to come to terms with ones fears. The script is good, the acting convincing and the direction very professional. And the youngsters who are the main leads give quality performances. Well done to those making this movie. More of the same please!

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 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!