We all know that familiar feeling – the sun sets, and we make our way to bed. We struggle to fall asleep, wondering what is lurking in the shadows that surround us. The fear of the dark is one of the most common childhood experiences, and the anxiety that comes with the idea that something resides in the darkness is an almost universal experience. Most of us overcome this fear as time progresses, but it’s those formative years that present the biggest challenge. This is essentially what Emma Yarlett set out to achieve when she wrote Orion and the Dark, a beautiful picture book that aims to explore the root of this fear, showing young readers the ways in which they can overcome it in their own way. One of the most fascinating works of child-based fiction in recent years, it was only a matter of time before this stunning book was brought to life on screen, since in addition to telling a wonderful story, it is deeply cinematic in its sensibility. Adapted by Charlie Kaufman in his first endeavour towards family entertainment, and directed by newcomer Sean Charmatz, the resulting film is absolutely magnificent, being the perfect collision of concept and execution, where they work in tandem to create something special. A beautifully made film that is as funny as it is heartfelt, driven by wonderful voice performances and a sense of poetry that we hardly find in a lot of modern animated films produced by major studios, Orion and the Dark is an exceptional achievement, its complex ideas being broken down into palatable segments that can be understood and appreciated by every viewer, regardless of age or origin. There is something quite magical about this film, and how it investigates its fundamental ideas, and adds layers of nuance to an already quite dense text, is extraordinary and immediately captures our attention in a significant way, which is certainly quite remarkable considering its supposed simplicity.

Orion and the Dark represents the kind of animated film that exists not only to entertain but also to offer something unique, conveying a deeper message that aligns with the values of both the source material and the artistic vision of the people assigned to bring it to life on screen. Considering this story could be appropriately described as “baby’s first existential crisis”, the idea of commissioning Kaufman to write the screenplay was ingenious, since not only is he one of the greatest writers of the past thirty years, but he has an endless imagination that makes him the perfect candidate to tackle this layered but fascinating text. We don’t often find animated films that prioritize their message (or at least we don’t find them in a form that doesn’t intend to preach from the start, but rather structure itself along conveying a particular meaning), and considering how universal the themes at the heart of this film tended to be, it is wonderful to see a story that pays attention to the details and intends to allow the viewer to walk away having gained something. Kaufman is certainly operating at the level we would expect. His screenplay expands massively on the world of the book, and since he was given free-reign to infuse the narrative with whatever thematic content he felt was most appropriate in getting to the root of the narrative without losing the overall mystique that came with the original book, which was accessible but still somewhat ethereal in its sensibilities. Despite writing films that were decidedly more targeted at adults, particularly in how they cover subjects like existential despair, loneliness and psychological complexity, Kaufman perfectly adapts his style (rather than changing it – this film still bears a striking resemblance to what we have expected from him as a writer), and the results are spellbinding, to say the least.

Thematically, this film was well-equipped from the very beginning, and it is certainly undeniable that the story it told was going to be of impeccable quality. However, when it comes to the actual execution, we see the true mastery of the film emerging. The story is strong, but it can only have value when it is accompanied by the sense of wonder and whimsy with which it was written, which required the director – who was making his debut and thus had quite a bit to prove – to take Kaufman’s masterful script and translate it into a gorgeous, compelling adventure that is as visually striking as it is narratively poetic. The results speak for themselves – the animation is not revolutionary, but it is neat, clear and easily recognizable, and there are a few moments where it is incredibly beautiful. The character designs themselves are remarkable, and it does help that the film is extremely well-cast, with the likes of Angela Bassett, Jacob Tremblay, Natasia Demetriou, Colin Hanks and a very brief but unforgettable Werner Herzog contributing their voices to bringing these characters to life. The great responsibility that came with this film was to offer something new, and the world-building makes it quite clear what it was intending to achieve. There are going to be inevitable comparisons between this film and the several other works of animation that centre around personifying inanimate or abstract objects, but this stands head-and-shoulders above all the rest, purely because it is filled to the brim with complex ideas that build to a clear crescendo, rather than just showcasing the narrative ingenuity of the people involved with telling the story. Both visually and conceptually, Orion and the Dark is an incredible achievement, and it certainly does manage to be different enough to represent an exciting new chapter in contemporary animation, which has continued to grow in many different directions.

More than anything else, the element that strikes us the most about Orion and the Dark is that this is a film that will stir a very different reaction depending on the age of the viewer, which is entirely purposeful. As adults, we will look at this as a charming and very sweet story with broad philosophical intentions simmering beneath the surface. However, watching it with a child is an extraordinary experience – this almost feels as if Kaufman and his collaborators were intent on making a film that served as a love letter to youthful anxiety and the fears we all have as a child. It’s a beautiful moment to share with someone who has only just started exploring the world and coming to terms with their insecurities and attempts to understand their environment. This is the quality that single-handedly elevates this film beyond being a run-of-the-mill animated comedy. There is a lot of work put into developing these ideas that they can be enjoyed by older viewers, but make a difference in the lives of younger audiences, who will very likely find themselves learning valuable life skills along the way. Perhaps it is hackneyed, but while they’ll not necessarily step away having learned any concrete facts, they’ll likely have developed a clearer understanding of their innermost quandaries, the fears and insecurities that we all encounter in our younger years, as well as some advice on ways that they can overcome these challenges. This is the aspect that allows the film to be far more nuanced than we may have expected and makes Orion and the Dark such a profoundly meaningful film with an abundance of heart and soul, something that has become a rarer commodity in contemporary cinema in many ways, at least on to this degree of laying everything out there in an honest, beautifully poetic manner.

Very rarely do we find a film that feels like a genuine gift given to us by the filmmakers, and while it may meet all the necessary criteria usually required by a strong animated film based on certain conceptions of success, this feels like a far more intimate, personal project. It is a heartfelt film that is not afraid to infuse the story with touches of melancholy because beyond being a fantastical adventure comedy, this is a coming-of-age story about a young child overcoming his fears by addressing them directly. It ultimately becomes an oddly resonant story of developing bravery and undergoing the journey of growing up, leaving behind the fears we find in childhood and embracing the future. Perhaps it can be somewhat heavy-handed in a few parts, and it does lag in certain places (likely in an attempt to stretch the brief source material into a feature-length narrative), but it is still extremely fresh and compelling, and the nuances situated right at the heart of the story are certainly unforgettable in their unique way. Whether you are an acolyte of Kaufman, who directs at quite a sporadic pace, or you simply stumble onto the film by chance, Orion and the Dark is an incredible film. Beautifully animated, combined with a strong story and a lot of heart, which means it is going to enthral and delight in equal measure, but also resonate in a very clear way with viewers seeking something more unique. It’s a wonderful film with a great sense of humour and a lot of heart, which is oddly more than enough for such a narrative, and its willingness to go to any lengths to develop these ideas proves its steadfast ingenuity and overall excellence as a piece of contemporary animation.