Brave the Dark

Rated PG-13 • Theaters

An unruly student with a troubled past meets a kindly teacher who takes him under his wing—we’ve all seen this movie before. What could possibly bring viewers out for this story again? Nuanced performances and natural dialogue would help, and that’s exactly what the new Angel Studios release Brave the Dark has—despite a few flaws in production.

Based on a true story, Brave the Dark is set in 1986 in Lancaster County, Pa. Jail time for petty theft looms for homeless high school student Nate Williams (Mark Wahlberg doppelgänger Nicholas Hamilton, who also performs the closing song with former Go-Go’s lead vocalist Belinda Carlisle). But a judge allows Nate’s teacher Stan Deen (Jared Harris) to take custody of him. A popular figure around town, Mr. Deen always sees the good in his students.

Nate wrestles with hazy memories of his mother, whose death when he was 6 might not have happened the way he was told, and flashbacks hint at the root causes of Nate’s self-­destructive behavior. He tries to turn his life around, but old habits die hard. Through it all, Mr. Deen never gives up on him.

It’s an inspiring story, but drawbacks include bad language, a subplot conspicuous in early scenes that don’t have any follow-through, and minor filmmaking mistakes.

Viewers might not catch the production blunders (well, now they will): a character speaking without moving his mouth and leafy trees in outdoor Christmas scenes—it’s Pennsylvania, remember. It’s hard, though, not to spot the Good Will Hunting reference (or rip-off?) in the hug-it-out finale: “It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault.” Twenty expletives and several shots of Nate’s bare chest seem to invite a nontraditional Angel Studios audience. Still, while Brave the Dark isn’t perfect, Hamilton’s and Harris’ credible interactions keep the film real. True stories tend to have that effect.