Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Synopsis
A young girl inadvertently unleashes a race of ancient monsters while exploring her father's 19th century mansion in this horror remake written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins, and directed by newcomer Troy Nixey. Introverted Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) has just moved in with her father, Alex (Guy Pearce), and his girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes), when she realizes that their sprawling estate holds its fair share of secrets. Descending into the depths of the house, Sally gains access to a secret lower level that has lain undisturbed for nearly a century, when the original builder vanished without a trace. When Sally accidentally opens the gateway that kept the creatures locked up tight, she realizes that in order to prevent them from destroying her family she must convince her skeptical father that monsters really exist.

Reviews
"[R]eally, truly, very scary....The start is properly terrifying due to Nixey's excellent sense of pacing." (Los Angeles Times)

"This is only the second film by the director, Troy Nixey, but he shows a firm hold on atmosphere." (Chicago Sun-Times)

"[A]n old-fashioned spooker....[With] richly detailed visuals..." (New York Times)

"The beasties in DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK have the horror-comic malleability of the creatures in GREMLINS: Adorable and funny on one beat, nasty the next." (A.V. Club)

3 stars out of 4 -- "DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK feels retro in all the right ways..." (Washington Post)

3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] some tense set-pieces and expert, swooping camerawork....The CGI creatures are brilliantly realised..." (Total Film)

3 stars out of 5 -- "DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK continues Guillermo Del Toro's obsession with revisiting childhood fears." (Uncut)

"It's an enjoyably old-fashioned creepy-house monster picture..." (Sight and Sound)