Orion and The Dark

Full Synopsis Orion and The Dark

Orion and The Dark is a 2024 American animated fantasy adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation, animated by Mikros Animation, and distributed by Netflix. Directed by Sean Charmatz and written by Charlie Kaufman, the film is adapted from the children's book of the same name by Emma Yarlett (2014). The film follows the emotional and imaginative journey of a young boy named Orion in confronting his fears, particularly of darkness, through a meaningful nighttime adventure with an entity named Dark. Here is the most complete synopsis of the film.

Beginning of the story: Orion and his fears

Orion, a shy and unassuming 11-year-old boy, is an elementary school student who looks just like his age. However, behind his normal appearance, Orion keeps a big secret: he is overcome by excessive anxiety and a long list of irrational fears. He is afraid of various things, such as bees, dogs, the sea, cellphone waves, killer clowns, heights, being laughed at by classmates, to being rejected by Sally, the girl he likes at school. Her biggest fear is the Dark, which makes it difficult for her to sleep without the lights on and often asks her parents to read her fairy tales before bed. Orion recorded all his fears in a diary, which became a reflection of his deep anxiety.

One night, when a storm causes a power outage, Orion's room becomes pitch black. In a panic, he screams and protests against the darkness, which unwittingly “summons” Dark, the embodiment of his greatest fear. Dark, a giant creature with long robes, big eyes, and a big smile, appears in Orion's room. Although initially seeming creepy, Dark turns out to be friendly and tired of Orion's constant complaints of blaming the darkness. To change Orion's perception, Dark takes him on an adventure for one night to show him the wonders and benefits of the night world, with the goal of helping Orion overcome his fears.

Adventure in the Night World

Dark introduces Orion to the other five entities of the night who work alongside him to maintain the balance of the night:

• Sleep: An entity that makes people fall into a deep sleep.
• Insomnia (Difficulty Sleeping): Entity that causes anxiety and keeps some people awake.
• Quiet (Keheningan): Entity that muffles the sounds of the night to create tranquility.
• Unexplained Noises (Suara Tak Dapat Dijelaskan): An entity that produces mysterious sounds at night.
• Sweet Dreams (Mimpi Indah): Entities that create pleasant dreams.

Initially, the anxious Orion interfered with the work of these entities. For example, his anxiety turns sweet dreams into nightmares and puts people who should be awake to sleep instead. However, over time, Orion began to open up and establish closeness with Dark. It learns to help the entities of the night in their tasks, such as spreading sweet dreams or creating silence. This adventure brings Orion to see the beauty of the night, such as the glow of fireflies in the forest, fireworks, and the glitter of city lights, which slowly changes his view of the darkness.

During the journey, Orion also meets Light, Dark's archenemy who brings daylight. Light is described as warm and safe, contrasting with the often feared Dark. Inadvertently, Orion comments that he prefers Light because it makes him feel good, which hurts the feelings of Dark and other night entities. Feeling betrayed, the night entities abandon their duties and choose to work during the day, causing the balance of nature to be disturbed: the world is trapped in endless daylight, plants wither, and humans become tired and irritable.

Orion's crisis and regret

Feeling guilty, Orion tries to apologize to Dark, who is now morose and stops at the top of a mountain—which turns out to be the back of a giant flying turtle. Orion begs for Dark to move before Light arrives and “destroy” Dark, but Dark, feeling unappreciated, remains silent. When Light passes, Dark disappears, leaving Orion alone. The nightless world becomes chaotic, and Orion realizes his mistake has broken the harmony of nature.

At this point, the story reveals that the adult Orion is telling this story to his daughter, Hypatia, to help overcome Hypatia's own fears. Hypatia, dissatisfied with her father's ending, takes over the narrative and creates an imaginative continuation.

Hypatia's Narrative: Dark Rescue

In Hypatia's version of the story, Orion, now alone on the beach, meets little Hypatia who promises to help him. Hypatia recites a poem she wrote based on The Adventures of Orion, which moves the heart of the night entity to return after seeing the chaos caused by endless daylight. They realize that Dark, as the embodiment of Orion's fear, can be recalled through Orion's dreams. Dengan bantuan Sweet Dreams, Orion dan Hypatia memasuki alam bawah sadar Orion untuk menemukan Dark.

In the dream, they manage to find Dark, but their reunion is interrupted when the closet door in Orion's room opens, revealing a black hole trying to attract Dark. In a critical moment, Orion, who is now beginning to accept his fears, jumps in to save Dark. Quiet Awakens Orion in time, and Dark reappears in the real world, restoring the balance of night and day.

Cover story and legacy

Dark escorts Orion and Hypatia back to Orion's house before saying goodbye. However, Hypatia is now trapped 20 years in the past. The story is completed when a boy named Tycho arrives with a time machine to bring Hypatia back to her time. As it turned out, the adult Hypatia is now telling this story to her son Tycho. At the end of the story, the adult Hypatia says good night to her parents Orion and Sally, who are now much older. The final scene goes back in time, showing Orion and Young Sally gazing at the stars together on a planetarium field trip, hinting that Orion has finally dared to say hello to Sally and build a future together.

Theme and message

Orion and The Dark raises deep psychological themes, such as anxiety, phobias (especially nyctophobia), and the process of self-acceptance. The Film shows that fear is a natural part of life, but by facing it gradually, one can find the courage and beauty behind the feared thing. The relationship between Orion and Dark depicts an unusual friendship, in which fear (Dark) becomes a teacher who helps Orion grow. The Film also emphasizes the importance of balance—between day and night, light and dark—as well as how each element has an important role in life.

Visually, the film blends 3D animation for its characters with watercolor painting-style backgrounds and sketches, creating a captivating contrast. Pengisi suara, termasuk Jacob Tremblay (Orion), Paul Walter Hauser (Dark), Colin Hanks (Orion Dewasa), Angela Bassett (Sweet Dreams), dan Werner Herzog (Narator), memberikan penampilan yang kuat dan emosional. With a poetic script by Charlie Kaufman, the film manages to convey a profound message without losing its appeal as family entertainment.

Orion and The Dark is a story of courage, friendship and the magic of the night, relevant for children who face everyday fears as well as adults who want to reflect on the meaning of uncertainty in life. The Film is available to watch on Netflix since February 2, 2024.

Sources: Information adapted from a variety of reliable sources, including Wikipedia, Netflix, and movie reviews as published by Redputih, context, and Cultura.