In the movie “Orion and the Dark” (2024), a young boy named Orion deals with different fears, especially the fear of the dark. When his biggest fear, represented by darkness, appears, Orion sets out to overcome his fears. This article discusses what takes place in the Netflix original and whether Orion lets go of his fear and lives happily ever after. Please note that the article contains spoilers; reader’s discretion is advised.
Orion and the Dark (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What is that one thing Orion is really scared of?
Orion is a little boy studying in an elementary school. Unlike most kids his age, Orion is someone who is scared of EVERYTHING. Name a situation, and he will shut his eyes, close his ears, and take himself to the deepest corners of a room, just to avoid a situation. Heights, fire, people, situations—everything scares Orion. So much so that he can’t even muster up the courage to speak to his classmate whom he really likes. Why? Because he thinks he will fumble his words and say something absolutely gibberish.
Orion’s school is organizing a field trip to the city planetarium, and the teacher has requested everyone to bring the permission slip signed by the student’s parents. Orion, of course, plans to skip it because he thinks he may have to sit with the girl he likes, and something weird might happen. Like most situations, this time, too, he plans on skipping a situation. His parents encourage him to go, but Orion is best at ignoring their words of encouragement.
After a long day of battling with his different types of phobias, nighttime arrives. This is when Orion’s greatest fear of all comes into the picture – the fear of the Dark. When his parents kiss him good night and turn the Lights off, Orion requests them to read the thickest book he could find (perhaps a David Foster Wallace book). His parents tell him not to let the fear of the Dark get the better of him. So, they leave the door open as per his request and go to sleep.
The moment they turn off the Lights in the bedroom alley, Orion’s manifestation of his fears becomes his worst nightmare as Darkness enters the room. Dark, who looks like – the character No-Face (Kaonashi) from Ghibli’s Spirited Away, mixed with the character Baymax from Big Hero 6, arrives. He is witty, funny, positive, and determined to convince Orion that he should not fear him at all.
Does Orion agree with Dark on an adventurous night out?
Dark is really unhappy that everyone thinks he is the bad guy and avoids his presence. Seeing Orion behaving like others, too, Dark wishes that he gets a chance to explain that there is so much to look forward to during nighttime. He even invites Orion on an adventure to show how he and the other night entities shape everyone’s life with their magical capabilities. But before we can see if Orion agrees to the adventure night, the story takes a leap into the future, showing us a grown-up Orion telling a bedtime story to his daughter Hypatia, who is also scared of the Dark. At this moment, we obviously think Orion is cooking up a story for his daughter so she can go to sleep without any fear of the Dark. But is he telling the truth? Did he really meet Dark?
Coming back to the story, young Orion is already up and flying high in the sky with Dark, hyperventilating, of course, because Dark almost dropped him. Dark introduces Orion to his ‘coworkers’ or the night entities – Insomnia, Quiet, Sleep, Unexplained Noises, and Sweet Dreams. Soon, Dark takes Orion to help him see how each of these entities works. At first, he keeps on interfering or judging the entities for how they are able to perform their job. But when his worst nightmares interfere with Sweet Dream’s job, Orion puts his foot down, believing if any of this means anything. This is when Dark reminds that Orion is no longer afraid of Darkness, and the two start flying again. However, Orion experiences everything differently.
Why does Dark decide to disappear?
Things take a different turn when Dark sees another kid getting scared of Darkness. On top of that, Orion gets to meet Dark’s nemesis – Light. Dark becomes unhappy again, and Orion decides to cheer him up with a speech, also making him overcome his fears of public speaking. Unfortunately, the speech doesn’t go the right way, as the night entities start believing that because of the Dark, no one can see the beauty around and how during the daytime, everything looks beautiful. This upsets Dark, and he decides to disappear after getting hit by the Light when his time comes up to take up his duties.
What happens in the story when there is no Darkness in the city?
The story jumps again in the future when Hypatia and her father go to the planetarium to see the night sky. One thing that Hypatia points out – in her casually profound tone is how people build a planetarium to see the stars after blocking the city with buildings. Anyway, seeing how her father is unable to find a way to end the story, Hypatia takes control and decides to enter it.
After Darkness is taken over by dayLight, everything becomes different and somewhat scary too. The city is finding it difficult to survive with 24 hours of daylight. With Dark gone and night entities also quitting their jobs, Orion is left alone by himself. This is when Hypatia appears to Orion, who is clueless about how to make things right. After introducing herself, Hypatia recites a poem that she wrote, bringing the night entities back in order to revive Dark. Once everyone gathers around, the team decides to put Orion into a peaceful sleep so he can visit his memories when he first met Dark.
In the memories, he meets Dark again, who is very happy to see Orion. However, Orion’s nightmares create a black hole that tries to suck away everything. Seeing that Orion is not waking up from his sleep, everyone starts to panic and tries their best to bring Orion and Dark back, but nothing works. This is when Quiet whispers, “You will miss your field trip,” in Orion’s ears, instantly waking him up and bringing all the night entities together.
Orion and the Dark (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Does Orion get over his fear of the Dark?
After Dark returns, everyone, including Orion and Hypatia, is stunned to see how everything is clear and the stars are visible. Little night bugs and creatures come to life, making everything look different and beautiful at the same time. Dark takes Orion back to his house as his 24 hours with him finally come to an end.
Dark thanks both Orion and Hypatia for believing in him as the two overcome their fears of the dark. Also, Dark feels a lot better after realizing that he is not feared anymore by anyone. They feel sad while saying their goodbyes, but Orion reminds them that they will meet again.
How does Hypatia teleport back to her real world?
Now that Orion and Hypatia are back in the house, it is time for Hypatia to return to her time. The story jumps into the future again, and we see Hypatia, now a mother, listening to her son, who is also afraid of the dark, telling her how he time-traveled to the past and saved his mother from the evil creatures bringing her back in her world.
The ending of “Orion and the Dark (2024) Movie” shows Hypatia kissing good night to her father, Orion, now a grown old man, and retiring to bed after putting her son to sleep. Orion decides to stay out a little longer with his wife Sally (the girl he feared to talk to in childhood) and enjoy the nighttime beauty.
Orion and the Dark (2024) Movie Review:
A child’s greatest fear is often being alone in the dark. Their vivid imagination can lead to a rollercoaster of panic attacks in such situations. DreamWorks Animation’s new title, written by Charlie Kaufman, explores the story of Orion conquering the fear of the dark, showcasing how our minds play tricks that limit us from experiencing joy. Kaufman crafted the story with the understanding that adults were once children who feared the darkness. The meta aspect, using storytelling within the film, illustrates how adults create narratives to encourage a brighter perspective, challenging our inhibitions.
The arc of Hypatia, who poses logical questions to her father to make the story plausible, and Orion allowing his daughter’s imagination to flow freely, adds depth to the narrative. Sean Charmatz’s “Orion and the Dark” is not just about overcoming the fear of the dark; it delves into storytelling as a means of bonding, creating a timeless space in their world. With Jacob Tremblay voicing Orion and Paul Walter Hauser portraying the nighttime entity Dark, the film emanates a wholesome vibe of friendship evolving through understanding and becoming lifelong companions. The film incorporates humor, with moments like Orion wanting his parents to read a David Foster Wallace book to avoid the dark room and Dark presenting a short movie about himself with Werner Herzog’s voice, pitching it to Sundance to the best of its abilities. Hypatia’s profound explanations about the workings of the adult world add depth to the narrative.
Adapted from Emma Yarlett’s book of the same name, Charmatz incorporates nocturnal entities, although they contribute minimally to uplifting the film. The metaphorical use of daytime as Dark’s nemesis, highlighting how light enriches life, offers a humorous observation about how we often overlook the beauty life has to offer at all times, instead letting nighttime anxieties take control. Regarding animation, the film is visually pleasing, reminiscent of the familiar animation style seen in movies like “Monsters, Inc.” and “Trolls.” While Kaufman is known for his existential themes, “Orion and the Dark” is a simple yet compelling story about a parent and child weaving tales to overcome irrational fears and inhibitions.
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