Neil Doyle
To better understand what the director was attempting to do, I read many of the other posts on this film after watching it--because, clearly, it was a murky way to tell a story about an odd little boy who thinks he might be going blind. Some of the explanations seem valid enough, but that still doesn't make AFRAID OF THE DARK any more than an experimental film that doesn't quite have the payoff intended.The boy, played by BEN KEYWORTH, wears extra thick glasses and sees the world in a distorted way. It's through his vision that we perceive what's happening, although much of the action is in his mind and is not reality. That's why there are so many layers to get through if you want to enjoy the film.Frankly, I was annoyed by some of his choices--particularly, the incident involving the dog Toby--and the only character in the story that I could fully relate to was the father, played by JAMES FOX. Well mannered, he seemed an understanding parent but was willing to put up with an awful lot of wrong and downright odd behavior from his son.Certain elements of the film were original in concept, such as the knitting needles and how they took on a different significance in the final scene, but overall there were many moments that seemed to drag, the pace suffering from bad editing.Not the sort of film I'd want to watch again and ultimately has to be considered a disappointment for a film that had so much potential to begin with.
Eric-1226
**Spoiler Alert: Possible explanatory SPOILERS ahead, necessary for my review**"Afraid of the Dark" is a movie about a young British boy, Lucas, who suffers from an eye condition which, if not corrected with a surgical operation, will certainly cause him to go blind. The movie shows how he mentally fades in and out of his "real" world, often times creating a hellish imaginary world that only a young, impressionable, and, namely, SCARED little boy could create.I saw it once, didn't understand it, and didn't much care for it, as it seemed a confusing, unentertaining hodge-podge of an art-house film although I did enjoy the dark, moody, atmospheric feel to it. I also liked the London row-house setting. It is a quiet movie, a virtually humorless movie, with a rather somber, at times slightly eerie soundtrack.Interestingly, I had recorded it on tape, and, not wishing to re-record something over it without giving it at least another chance, I decided to watch it again
surprisingly, it was more compelling viewing the second time through, and I'm glad I saved my tape. It helps to understand that the movie combines healthy doses of artistic license as well as portrayal of events that are purely a child's fantasy, which, upon first viewing can be so confusing and off-putting that I can see why the average viewer might not like this movie. You will spend a lot of time wondering what's real, and what's not.But give it a chance. You may have to watch it twice, like I did, but you will be rewarded. Just remember that many of the "twisted" scenes in the movie are not real: they are scenes that merely reflect a nightmare world as concocted by the hyper-imaginative mind of the scared young boy, Lucas, who is terrified of his upcoming eye operation/possible blindness. So I must give the film great credit for not only being imaginative, but also very sobering, as it is a thought-provoking glimpse into the frightened mind of a child faced with possible blindness.
jamsam-2
i am still not sure what the hell this movie is about. i guess the boy was afraid of becoming blind and began imagining all sorts of strange things. this does not explain why he wanted to kill his new baby brother , however , or the unrelenting boredom found within this film. while watching this movie you will wish you were blind so you did not have to see this experiment in futility. skip this steaming pile and opt for anything else at the video store ..... anything else.
Infiltr8
The movie is very unusual, and the images were very striking. I couldn't help but think of The Reflecting Skin while watching this movie, as it too is full of odd imagery, and what, at least to me, appear to be delusions by the main character.Things returning to "normal" suddenly at the end got me, but this film is so dark that it HAS to get better somehow.
AD
