Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a serviceable but uninspired remake of the 1973 TV movie. The plot is predictable and relies on characters making frustratingly poor decisions throughout. The acting is competent—Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes do what they can with thin material, while the child lead carries more of the film's emotional weight. Cinematography benefits from del Toro's production involvement with some atmospheric gothic visuals and effective creature design, but it never transcends its haunted-house formula. As a remake it lacks distinctiveness, retreading familiar territory without adding meaningful new dimensions. The ending is bleak in a way that feels more arbitrary than earned, failing to provide satisfying resolution or genuine dread.