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Fear(s) of the Dark
IFC Films


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based on 16 reviews
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MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Starring Aure Atika, Arthur H, François Creton, Guillaume Depardieu, Nicole Garcia, Louisa Pili, and Christian Hecq

Fear(s) of the Dark is a wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world's most renowned comic and graphic artists - Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, Fear(s) has a story strand to trouble every sleep - not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense. (IFC Films)

GENRE(S):	Animation \| Mystery
WRITTEN BY:	Blutch Charles Burns Pierre Di Sciullo, Michel Pirus Romain Slocombe
DIRECTED BY:	Blutch, Charles Burns Marie Caillou Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti Richard McGuire
RELEASE DATE:	Theatrical: October 22, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	85 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	France
LANGUAGE(S):	French

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Sinister and beautiful, this mostly black-and-white animation from France culls the talents of six artists and designers.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Fear(s) of the Dark, a French production, interweaves the shorts, linking the segments together thematically, and narratively.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Shot in luminous whites, pulsing blacks and gorgeous grays, the stories explore sexual insecurity, rural superstition and sociopolitical anxieties with an inventiveness that's seldom scary but never less than mesmerizing.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

These stories are frightening, but they contain few shocks or flinches; they're deeper and more psychological, more about adult anxiety than pure terror.

Chicago Tribune Christopher Borrelli

Works best when it works primal--which is not the same thing as working dumb.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

It makes a nicely grim little Halloween appetizer, although you may want to go home and hide under the bed afterward.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

Despite the cultural and artistic differences among the contributors, the overall production design maintains a unified tone, helped in part by Laurent Perez's eerie soundtrack.

Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen

None of the segments are really interested in jump/scare/slasher horror, but rather the slow, creeping terror of feeling something is wrong and something worse is coming, making the film a most frightful Halloween aperitif.

Village Voice Aaron Hillis

Though multi-director projects are patchy by definition, Fear(s) of the Dark hits with an all-star batting average.

The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber

Half a dozen directors from America and Europe contribute stories to this tasty potpourri.

Film Threat Jeremy Mathews

A visually exhilarating trip through the darker regions of the subconscious.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Some of the stories are pretty good, especially Charles Burns' tale involving a nasty and vaguely humanoid insect that burrows under the skin.

New York Post V.A. Musetto

There isn't a dud in the 10 shorts, although some are more dud-ish than others.

Variety Jay Weissberg

An omnibus of black-and-white animation with a couple exceptionally clever episodes tied together by an unnecessary recurring monologue.

Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling

Feels like a nonstarter.

San Francisco Chronicle Reyhan Harmanci

The result is more lyrical than frightening - and there are some misses mixed in with the hits - but it's well worth checking out.

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Fear(s) of the Dark IFC Films

Fear(s) of the Dark
IFC Films