Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Review Embargo
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
"I'm afraid that nosotros woke something up."
In André Øvredal'due south "Scary Stories to Tell in the Nighttime," these loaded words are spoken by 1 of the movie's five central teens, tormented by a self-writing storybook they had carelessly taken abroad from a haunted house in their pocket-size town of Mill Valley, PA around Halloween of 1968. Now permit's count all the formulaic components (as well as our consistent blessings) in this vista, shall we? Group of misfit kids on a mission? Check. Menstruation nostalgia (that'southward not the overdone '80s of "Stranger Things" and "IT")? Check. Small-town Americana that delightfully rhymes with "Hill Valley"? Check. Halloween? Haunted firm? Possessed object? Check check check. That'southward certainly enough familiar ingredients to make a foolproof pot of genre stew. And thank you to Øvredal'southward visual flair and visceral dedication to the monsters of Guillermo del Toro (among the team of writers and producers here), clearly a major influence on the "Trollhunter" manager'due south bittersweet approach to the field, this satisfying though far from innovative dish boasts comforting flavors throughout.
If yous, like me, did not grow up with tents in backyards, overnight trips to spooky lakeside grounds or marshmallows by campfires, y'all might be foreign to the earth of the "Scary Stories" trilogy of books; with creepy tales collected by Alvin Schwartz, and illustrations to friction match done by Stephen Gammell. The good news is, Øvredal's stylishly old-school flick doesn't require whatsoever homework—your affection for genre-work like "The Changeling," "Ringu" and "The Night of the Living Dead" as well as a mild nostalgic appreciation for "Goonies"-type fare will suffice. Though it's still helpful to know that these are anthology-style books. Co-scribes Dan and Kevin Hagemen (along with story crafters del Toro, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton) take created a unifying (though choppy) narrative arc around a number of the popular yarns of the books—"Harold," "The Big Toe" and "The Red Spot" among them—while keeping with the novels' PG-13 spirit. Amidst the things "Scary Stories" might wake up could very well be a newfound appetite for horror in younger movie-watchers.
At the heart of the tale that celebrates the healing ability of storytelling is the sweetly introverted Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti of "Wildlife"), a motherless aspiring author with dad issues and a love of all-things-scary—her room is decorated wall-to-wall with tales and creatures she worships. There is besides the enigmatic Ramón (Michael Garza), a Mexican-American teen who attempts to pass through town, but lingers around after saving Stella's coiffure from bullies one night at the drive-in. Then we have the nerdy Auggie (Gabriel Rush) in a Pierrot costume for Halloween—his outfit option is a successful running gag—the goofy Chuck (Austin Zajur) as well as his beautiful, popular sister Ruth (Natalie Ganzhorn). When the quintet visits an out-of-premises, boarded-upward mansion with a tragic by ane night and takes abroad a storybook belonging to the spirit of the once-murderous Sarah Bellows (Kathleen Pollard)—she is said to be locked away by her rich and fell family—they disturb the vengeful ghost and end upward disappearing one by 1. Gruesome tales beginning to slowly appear in the book, designed in accordance with the teens' worst fears.
Predictably, the fix pieces of Øvredal's film are a lot more fun to enjoy individually than to consider them within the context of the overarching tale. In that, the seams around the album testify—nosotros don't quite connect with the kids' private fears in a deep sense when their nightmares find them. Thankfully however, even Øvredal seems to know the parts hither are greater than the sum and doesn't shy away from showing off the visual tricks he'due south got up his sleeve to brand each spine-tingling sequence pop in their own way. From the amazing opening montage featuring Donovan's "Flavor of the Witch" (a new version by Lana Del Rey comes in the end) to crawling spiders and stalker-y ghouls, the seize with teeth-sized thrills of "Scary Stories" pack plenty of jolts, though more constructive for adolescent eyeballs than adults.
The film also engages with the land's political history and racism, but only to varying degrees of success. With the backdrop of a detailed production pattern by David Brisbin that brings the era'due south character to life, we get clear shots of Nixon on posters and TV and are reminded of the Vietnam State of war dread—a labored ambition that doesn't quite country. Still, "Scary Stories" is a strangely uplifting throwback to former-fashioned clans of investigative teens. While it doesn't suspension whatever new ground, in that location is enough of vintage fun to be had with kids who feel their way through life's impending fears and alive to tell the tale.
Tomris Laffly
Tomris Laffly is a freelance moving picture writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to RogerEbert.com, Variety and Fourth dimension Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Mag, Film Periodical International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, amongst other outlets.
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
111 minutes
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