Orion and the Dark
Orion and the Dark
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This family animated film explores childhood anxiety through a nighttime adventure that feels imaginative, gentle and often reassuring, even when the visuals become dark or strange. The main sensitive elements involve fear of the dark, a child listing many worries, a few potentially upsetting images such as an apparent disappearance, and moments of tension built around feeling alone with frightening thoughts. The intensity stays moderate and non graphic, with no harsh violence or realistic threat, yet several scenes may unsettle very sensitive children because the story closely follows the mind of an anxious boy. Most children will handle it better once they can understand basic emotional themes and separate imagination from real danger. Parents may want to frame the movie beforehand as a story about learning to live with fear, then offer reassurance after darker scenes by reminding children that the film is trying to make nighttime feel understandable, not truly dangerous.
Synopsis
A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.
Difficult scenes
At the beginning, Orion lists many specific fears, including darkness, bullies, sudden noises and worst case scenarios. This buildup can resonate strongly with anxious children because the film shows how one worried thought can quickly lead to another and create an ongoing feeling of danger. Dark first appears at night in Orion's bedroom after a power outage. Even though the character becomes friendly, the sudden entrance, very large shape and fully dark setting may startle younger viewers, especially children who are already uneasy about bedtime or sleeping alone. During the nighttime journey, several scenes focus on sounds, silence, insomnia and unexplained activity around sleeping homes. These moments are not violent, yet they can make ordinary nighttime feel eerie for a while, particularly for children who are afraid of mysterious noises or waking up alone in the dark. A more intense sequence shows Dark in a situation that looks like a disappearance or an irreversible loss from Orion's perspective. The scene is emotional and visually striking even within a gentle fantasy framework, and sensitive children may react with sadness or ask worried questions about separation.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
Availability checked on Apr 01, 2026
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2024
- Runtime
- 1h 32m
- Countries
- United States of America
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Sean Charmatz
- Main cast
- Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Angela Bassett, Colin Hanks, Natasia Demetriou, Golda Rosheuvel, Nat Faxon, Aparna Nancherla, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gugino
- Studios
- DreamWorks Animation
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This family animated film explores childhood anxiety through a nighttime adventure that feels imaginative, gentle and often reassuring, even when the visuals become dark or strange. The main sensitive elements involve fear of the dark, a child listing many worries, a few potentially upsetting images such as an apparent disappearance, and moments of tension built around feeling alone with frightening thoughts. The intensity stays moderate and non graphic, with no harsh violence or realistic threat, yet several scenes may unsettle very sensitive children because the story closely follows the mind of an anxious boy. Most children will handle it better once they can understand basic emotional themes and separate imagination from real danger. Parents may want to frame the movie beforehand as a story about learning to live with fear, then offer reassurance after darker scenes by reminding children that the film is trying to make nighttime feel understandable, not truly dangerous.
Synopsis
A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.
Difficult scenes
At the beginning, Orion lists many specific fears, including darkness, bullies, sudden noises and worst case scenarios. This buildup can resonate strongly with anxious children because the film shows how one worried thought can quickly lead to another and create an ongoing feeling of danger. Dark first appears at night in Orion's bedroom after a power outage. Even though the character becomes friendly, the sudden entrance, very large shape and fully dark setting may startle younger viewers, especially children who are already uneasy about bedtime or sleeping alone. During the nighttime journey, several scenes focus on sounds, silence, insomnia and unexplained activity around sleeping homes. These moments are not violent, yet they can make ordinary nighttime feel eerie for a while, particularly for children who are afraid of mysterious noises or waking up alone in the dark. A more intense sequence shows Dark in a situation that looks like a disappearance or an irreversible loss from Orion's perspective. The scene is emotional and visually striking even within a gentle fantasy framework, and sensitive children may react with sadness or ask worried questions about separation.