Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) Movie Review - Excellent Horror Gem
We are back with another entry in our Fall Themed Horror series. Today we will indulging in some Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark courtesy of producer Guillermo Del Toro and director André Øvredal. This is the second of Øvredal’s movies we have recently reviewed. We covered the excellent The Autopsy of Jane Doe for our K-O-Ween 31 Days of Halloween feature and really enjoyed it. Scary Stories is another movie that fits firmly into the Fall Themed horror category. Starting on Halloween, the events of the movie end around the first week of November.
Today’s movie couldn’t be much further apart from the aforementioned, however. Made for a younger audience and acting as the perfect gateway into horror fandom. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is far more akin to Goosebumps and the like. Based on the children’s book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories attempts to capture what made those books so popular. Let’s take a look. As always I will give a quick spoiler free breakdown of the movie which you can skip if you like.
Autumn Horror Fun
Set in the autumn of 1968, three friends, Stella, Auggie and Chuck, played by Zoe Colletti, Gabriel Rush and Austin Zajur respectively, head out for Halloween. After a night of fun, they find themselves locked in a spooky old house. The supposed home of an abused girl who just so happened to write a book of terrifying tales. A book that the friends have now found themselves in possession of. Little realising that the book will bring to life a range of monsters based on the children’s innermost fears.
Released back in 2019, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is one of those perfect Halloween movies. We originally watched it in the cinema back when it released and then again, recently, for this review. Kicking off on Halloween itself, it runs through the first week of November and features that typical fall feel. Based on the book series by Alvin Schwartz, the movie acts as a collection of dark tales brought to life. These tales are connected together by a main story that focuses primarily on Stella and her fascination with Sarah Bellows and the book she wrote.
Featuring a fairly slow moving plot, it is a little while before we actually get to see some of the stories from the source material. The movie first introduces the characters that we will be following along with. Stella is something of a bookish kid who is obsessed with horror movies. Chuck is a bit of a joker who doesn’t take things too seriously. Auggie is a little uptight and appears to be the straight man to Chuck. We also meet Ramón who is the “cool” member of the group, drives a car and is, apparently, all too willing to do the bidding of a bunch of kids.
Tense, Humorous and Engaging
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a relatively well paced and engaging movie. Clearly aimed at a younger audience, there is an almost Goonies-esque sense of adventure to the story. We see a close group of friends who are, obviously, somewhat outcast fighting back against a bunch of assholes. They visit a spooky haunted house, uncover mysteries, and have the crap scared out of them. It is good, old fashioned, light horror fun and entirely enjoyable for it. It really reminds me of movies like The Monster Squad.
It’s hard not to enjoy the camaraderie of the group and the fact that they are all so likeable makes it all the easier. Chuck, in particular, is hilarious. Most people remember the fun of Halloween back when they were kids and Scary Stories does a great job of capturing this. It helps that there are some genuinely tense moments. Scenes such as the one that features a character hiding under a bed from a hideous monster are very effective. There is another scene that stands out for it’s use of an almost hall of mirrors like effect to confuse a character. Legitimately tense, the movie does a great job of creating an atmosphere of dread and maintains it for much of the runtime.
There is an almost fairground haunted house manner to how the scares in this film are delivered. The setup is fairly obvious. There are visual cues so you know that the shit is about to hit the fan and the slight use of exposition has you waiting with baited breath for what is about to happen. It’s very well done and guarantees that there is rarely a long period of time with nothing going on. I can only imagine fans of the books love the sense of anticipation that comes from wondering which of the monster from the original short stories will be appearing next.
Horror for Young Teens
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a perfect introduction to the horror genre for older kids and young teens. Featuring only minor sexual references, mild language, no nudity and limited gore. It seems like this would be an ideal first step into horror for many children. Despite this the movie, in the UK, is rated as a 15. That seems a bit harsh and I am not sure why it is given this rating. It is worth pointing out, as well, that this is an ideal option for people who are not fans of really scary movies. People who don’t like gore may find themselves really enjoying this. It’s a great option for sleep over viewing, as well, for this exact reason.
It has to be said, however, that some of the scenes may not be suitable for young children. There are a few parts of the film that are, legitimately, quite scary and certain scenes may be upsetting for more sensitive young viewers. With that being said, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark falls into the same category as movies like Coraline, Sleepy Hollow and ParaNorman as easy going horror. It’s great fun, well paced, and is sure to keep most kids entertained throughout.
Fantastic Cinematography and Set Design
Cinematography on Scary Stories is suitably great. Set in the late 1960’s, it’s hard not to notice and appreciate the interesting aesthetic. Gorgeous classic American cars litter the roads, flared cords are in fashion and the places the kids visit are charmingly retro. Filmed in a modern 2.35:1 aspect ration, the sharpness of the shots doesn’t lend much of an aged feeling to the production. It can be easy to forget that the movie takes place in 68. It looks fantastic, however, and the creative use of angles, particularly when the teens visit the haunted house, really adds to the traditional horror feeling of the movie. Panning shots of the local town are gorgeous and the warmly lit indoor scenes look great.
Set design is very nice. The Bellow’s house is creepy in its ominous, near permanent, darkness. Later trips to the house in its former glory are noteworthy for how bright and vibrant they look. Retro attractions like the drive in cinema are welcome for their reinforcement of the time period. It can be all too easy to forget when the movie is set thanks to the crispness of the cinematography. Later scenes featuring one of the monsters stand out for the hall of mirrors style nature of the set. It does a fantastic job of capturing the dream like confusion the character in question is feeling. All in all, it’s a brilliant looking movie with a unique and interesting aesthetic.
Decent Acting
Acting in Scary Stories is solid, pretty much, throughout. Zoe Colletti, as Stella, is really decent. Tasked with providing an emotive and raw performance, in parts. She does a fantastic job and you genuinely buy into the effect her backstory has had on her. There is a scene right near the end of the movie where she is experiencing a harrowing event. Colletti does a brilliant job here of expressing fear and is entirely convincing.
There are a few moments here and there where the gravity of the situation seems to go over Stella’s head. Given what is happening to the character and her closest friends. It seems strange that she would be smiling and excited to find out more about this random dead person who is actively ruining her life. I blame this more on direction than Colletti, however, as she is excellent throughout.
Side characters are great. Gabriel Rush and Austin Zajur, as Auggie and Chuck, have excellent chemistry and play off each other really well. Michael Garza, as Ramón, is fine at what he is asked to do. His character lacks some of the comical writing of the other boys. The role almost feels like a background character despite the amount of screen time afforded to him. Austin Abrams, as bully Tommy, puts on a bit of a weird performance. At times, he almost seems possessed and as if he should be drooling like Pennywise in the movie version of It. I think his motivation here could have used a little addressing as the character feels over the top and a bit out of place. He would be great portraying a serial killer in a more serious movie, though.
Should You Watch Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
I think Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is well worth watching. It’s not the most graphic movie, it has limited gore, no nudity, limited language and mild scares. Meaning its pretty suitable for older kids. It’s also a lot of fun for adults, as well. Sure, it’s not going to scare your pants off. But it does enough to keep you entertained and some moments are legitimately quite unnerving. The visuals are fantastic, the acting is decent and the story compelling enough to keep even older people entertained. Plus, the autumn vibes are abundant.
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
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