Based on the real story of Stan Deen, a high school English and Drama teacher of the Garden Spot High School, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from 1967 until his death in 2016, “Brave the Dark” has Damian Harris directing his brother, Jared in the particular role, in a rather rewarding drama.
Haunted by torturous childhood memories, Nate Williams finds himself in a really troubled space, living in his car and acting like a bully in highschool, despite the efforts of his girlfriend, Tina, to change him. Eventually, his reckless attitude has him arrested and in prison, which is when his teacher, Mr Deen, decides to bail him out and take him under his wing. Mr Deen aims at helping by having him actively participate in his drama club, but soon realizes that the secrets the young man is keeping about his past and the pressure he feels from his parole officer and his social surrounding create a rather explosive amalgam. The fights of the two are rather frequent and intense, and Nate’s life is always on the brink of being destroyed completely, with Mr Deen’s efforts eventually putting even his own career and life overall in jeopardy.
The most obvious trait of the movie is evidently the presence of Jared Harris, whose performance and overall charisma elevates the film much beyond it would otherwise be without his presence. His characteristic voice seems to find an ideal fit in the role of the teacher, while the majority of the scenes he appears in are show-stealers. Nicholas Hamilton’s performance as Nathan follows suit, benefitting the most from the chemistry with Harris, with the scenes the two fight definitely being among the best in the movie.
Acting withstanding, the context here is rather rich, with the biggest comment being on how hard change can come, even in young people. As we watch Deen striving again and again to save his student, and him continuing his self-destructive behaviour, what becomes rather obvious is that for change to come, both someone to hit rock-bottom is needed, and for someone else to be willing to sacrifice himself. Both these aspects become more and more obvious as the movie progresses, with the ending cementing the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
At the same time, how cruel and unforgiving society can be, even within the school environment, also becomes obvious here, adding even more to the already rich context.
Julio Macat’s cinematography captures all the events and the different setting appearing here with realism, without any particular exaltation, although a number of the night scenes are impressive. Toby Yates’s editing results in a relatively fast tempo that suits the story quite well, with the 112 minutes of the movie not feeling long at all. Lastly, the flashbacks, if somewhat excessive (as are some scenes that go beyond melodrama here) are well placed within the narrative.
Headed by another excellent performance by Jared Harris and a rather intriguing story, “Brave the Dark” emerges as a film that definitely deserves a watch, particularly for the food for thought it provides.