Orion and the Dark

We are catching up on the movies of 2024 that I just simply did not get to when they came out. We are on Orion and the Dark, the newest animated film from Dreamworks. Dreamworks has been doing some really great stuff the last few years, I just feel like it gets overshadowed by Disney and Pixar. Even though I stand firm on Ruby Gillman being 1000X better then Wish. So we will see if they keep up that trend with this newest film.

Oh this poor little neurodivergent baby. This poor kid clearly has anxiety, maybe a little touch of autism. I just wanna give him a hug. Lots of things scare him and we start the movie hearing his inner monologue. It's rambly and adorable and perfectly relatable. He is very sweet and a little lonely because he just can’t get over his many fears enough to connect with anyone. It’s very sad.

This ends up being a story of grown up Orion telling his exceptionally brilliant and fearful daughter what it's like to overcome those fears. She ends up overcoming her fear of the dark and it is a beautiful father-daughter bonding story. Which then turns into a mother-son bonding story. The passing on of this narrative was a really incredible way to tell this story. I think what really needs help over at Dreamworks is their marketing. I feel like the last few movies have had really beautiful messages but they just really were not marketed very well. What should have been the main emotional hook of the movie was completely glossed over in the movie and in the trailer.

The film is brilliantly written, there is so much humor. And I think it really captures what it's like to be different. Not just to have anxiety, though that was portrayed very well, but also how hard it is to connect with people when you don’t perfectly blend in. Orion and his daughter are both very smart. As fifth graders. Being brilliant at a young age would be isolating. Being a little weird or quirky is isolating. I think this story is an incredible vehicle for children to learn that just because they are a little different doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with them.

This journey Orion goes on doesn’t just include Dark but also the other “night entities”; sweet dreams, insomnia, sleep, and quiet. This is a great vehicle to make this movie relatable to everyone. This is so far from being just a kids movie. In a lot of animated films there are some jokes thrown in for the parents but this is definitely a film that is fully for everyone. Let’s all remember that animation does not inherently make something a kids movie. Though this is clearly targeted to children, it is very much a film that will resonate with everyone.

Overall I really loved this movie. I think Orion and the Dark earns a solid 9/10. I think it is a beautiful story of overcoming fear and a wonderful portrayal of a father-daughter relationship. Then the story turns from Orion to his daughter as she passes it on to her son. It's this really beautiful story of generational bonding and I think that it should have gotten more attention. Dreamworks has really put out some incredible movies for children and families in the last couple of years. Their marketing team just needs some help. If you have a child that feels like they are a little different, or you just haven’t fully healed yourself from being that kid then this movie is perfect for you.