Review: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ is limited by age, not scares (Includes first-hand account)

In every culture, there is a tradition of telling stories to pass down wisdom, as well as warnings about the dangers young people need to learn to avoid. Some of these evolved into local folklore, urban legends or just fictions to frighten and entertain. Passed down between generations and eventually recorded, sharing these tales is a pastime that many enjoy… and some — particularly young campers around campfires — dread. In 1981, Alvin Schwartz published a compilation of these chilling, short narratives, which became a secret pleasure for many adolescent readers. Now, Guillermo Del Toro has produced a big-screen adaptation with its own spectral storyteller, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Chuck (Austin Zajur) and Auggie (Gabriel Rush) are outcasts, but on Halloween 1968 they hope to even the playing field. When their plan backfires and the local bullies come looking for payback, they request sanctuary from Ramón (Michael Garza), who’s passing through town. Eager to get off the streets and impress their new friend, the group goes to the rundown house said to be haunted by Sarah Bellows, a young woman shunned and imprisoned by her family decades earlier. When aspiring writer Stella borrows one of the deceased girl’s storybooks, she unleashes the spirit and puts all of her friends in danger as Sarah pens terrifying and potentially lethal tales about each of them from beyond the grave.

Rather than make a straightforward horror anthology based on several pieces from the original collection, the filmmakers chose to create an overarching connecting story and splice in Schwartz’s frightening tales throughout. The Sarah Bellows narrative is actually quite effective in not only propelling the picture forward, but providing an enemy against which they can unite. The movie incorporates some of the lesser-known stories from Schwartz’s book, which also feature palpable evil characters to translate to the screen, such as the shapeless creature that haunts the red halls of one of their nightmares.

Based on director André Øvredal’s previous work it’s a bit surprising, but much like the original source material it becomes evident early on that the target audience for this movie is also skewing younger than the typical horror crowd. The dialogue is almost too simplistic, the monsters are creepy but not gory, and the solutions to their problems are not overly complicated. The kids are appealing, but their PG-friendly adventure isn’t enough to get the avid genre viewer’s blood running. Although the monsters appear to be well thought-out and can give anyone goosebumps, they don’t (all) necessarily have much more effect.

It’s a solid horror movie that’s well-paced and creates an eerie atmosphere, but audiences will have to be a bit younger to get the full bang for their buck.

Do you dare to find out your fate? Pause the GIF to see which one of the creatures from #ScaryStoriesMovie will visit you in your dreams tonight. pic.twitter.com/oAOQCqlWoJ

— Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (@ScaryStoriesMov) August 6, 2019

Director: André Øvredal
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza and Gabriel Rush

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