Brave the Dark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Dale G. Bradley
- Lynn Robertson-Hay
- Nathaniel Deen
- John P. Spencer
- Damian Harris
- Grant Bradley
- Derek Dienner
- Dale G. Bradley
- Jared Harris
- Nicholas Hamilton
- Jamie Harris
- Sasha Bhasin
- Will Edward Price
- Kimberly S. Fairbanks
| Brave the Dark | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Damian Harris |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Julio Macat |
| Edited by | Toby Yates |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Angel Studios |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200,000[2] |
| Box office | $4.5 million[3] |
Brave the Dark is a 2023 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Damian Harris and starring Jared Harris and Nicholas Hamilton. The film premiered at the Heartland International Film Festival in October 2023,[4] and was released in the United States on January 24, 2025. It has received mixed reviews from critics.
Set in 1980s rural Pennsylvania, is based on true events.
Stan Deen, a teacher in New Holland, Pennsylvania, discovers that one of his students, Nate, has been living out of his car and has been arrested. Moved by Nate's plight, Stan decides to bail him out and offers him a place to stay, aiming to help him graduate high school. As their relationship develops, Stan becomes increasingly involved in uncovering the dark secrets of Nate's past.
Cast
- Jared Harris as Stan Deen, a small-town teacher in 1980s Pennsylvania
- Nicholas Hamilton as Nate, a homeless teenager living in his car
- Jamie Harris as Barney, Nate's parole officer
- Sasha Bhasin as Tina, Nate's girlfriend
- Kimberly Fairbanks as Deborah, a teacher and Stan's friend
- Will Price as Johnny, Nate's friend
- Meredith Sullivan as Gloria
- Daisy Galvis as the judge overseeing Nate's sentencing
- Joey Cabrera as Jim Baxter, Tina's Father
Production
Stan Deen was a high school English and Drama teacher of the Garden Spot High School, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from 1967 until his death in 2016. He founded the Garden Spot Performing Arts (GSPA) in 1967.[5] Brave the Dark was written by Dale G. Bradley, Lynn Robertson, John P. Spencer, director Damian Harris and Nathaniel "Nate" Deen.
To help embody Deen fully, Harris watched every video of the teacher that Nate Deen had.[6]
Filming locations included the real Garden Spot High School in Lancaster County where Nathaniel Deen attended and Stan Deen taught as well as the house both lived in. Filming took place between late summer and autumn 2021. Climactic scenes were filmed against the Poplar Neck Bridge near Lancaster in October 2021.[7]
Three brothers were part of the film: Jared Harris as the star, Jamie Harris as the probation officer, and Damian Harris as director and co-writer.[8]
Release
The film was released to film festivals in 2023.[9] In 2024, Angel Studios placed Brave the Dark before its Angel Guild, a group of investors who vote on whether the studio should distribute the film.[10] After a successful vote, Angel Studios picked up the film for theatrical distribution. The film had its red carpet premiere at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster on January 11, 2025.[11]
Brave the Dark was released in theaters in the United States on January 24, 2025.[12]
