Orion and the Dark review: "Netflix's animated adaptation is warm and witty thanks to Charlie Kaufman"

Orion and the dark.

You wouldn’t call Emma Yarlett’s cosy kids’ book and arthouse fave Charlie Kaufman natural bedfellows. But DreamWorks’ charming, witty animation finds their sweet spot, as Kaufman’s script nimbly spins anxiety-ridden tween Orion’s (Jacob Tremblay) bedtime fears into a wild, globetrotting overnight ride with Paul Walter Hauser’s gruff, wisecracking supernatural entity Dark. 

First-time director Sean Charmatz’s visuals retain the original picture book’s warm, line-drawn feel, gorgeous watercolor landscapes, and Orion’s Captain Underpants-style notebook sketches of his fears. But it’s Kaufman’s talky, empathetic story that rules here. Orion and the Dark emerges as a kid-friendly take on his obsessions with exploring high anxiety, existential dread, and how characters can shape-shift the story (see also: Anomalisa and Adaptation).