Brave the Dark

This is a beautiful film about fatherhood and a story much needed for our current times. The always impressive Jared Harris portrays a good natured teacher who takes Nathan, a troubled teenager under his wing, trying desperately to help him through kindness, empathy, and genuine good humor. All of this is confusing to Nathan who is not used to such concern, and is heavily burdened by his own self-hatred.

The film definitely delivers on its title, more than earning it's strong PG-13 rating, but does not dwell upon the horrors of trauma to such a degree that it taints the message of redemption. That being said, the resolution does come a bit too quickly, especially after seeing the hellish event that provided the trauma in the first place. I felt more healing in the present could have been shown instead of implied with a tail-end time jump, and the inclusion of a happy, upbeat song for the end credits after a jarring final reveal also had me mixed emotions. Nevertheless, the message and direction overcome the film's shortcomings making this a great story for adults.