Movie Review-----DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

My idea of a great suspense thriller is more along the lines of Michael Myers stalking babysitters or even Jason Voorhees chasing virgins in the woods. I don't normally go for scary movies that have creatures or zombies as the villains. So I wasn't expecting much when I sat down to watch this theatrical remake of a television movie from the early 1970's. However, this movie is made with enough style and atmosphere that it kept my attention and even caused me to jump off the couch a few times. Soon after moving in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes), young Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) discovers she isn't alone in the house: strange creatures live there--and they might not be as friendly as Sally thinks they are. It borders on utterly ridiculous, but the movie is produced by Guillermo del Toro who also co-wrote the screenplay, and no matter how many times I found myself shaking my head at the absurdity of the plot, I simply wrapped my blanket around me a little tighter and just enjoyed the ride. Having above-average performances for this kind of material certainly helps the proceedings. Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce are better than they should be expected to be with pretty thankless roles, and Bailee Madison is quite good as the juvenile lead. The floors creak, the creatures whisper, and things lurk under the bed blankets. A perfectly creepy way to spend 90 minutes.