About the film (courtesy of CBS Films):
It’s l968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind…but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying tome.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark definitely feels like more of a teenage horror starter film. This is just something that moviegoers should take into consideration when making their choices along with setting their expectations. It doesn’t have that Halloween feel, not even a Scream type vibe to it. I’d equate it to be more like Stranger Things on a low dosage steroid. The content comes across as slightly creepy at times but nothing that’ll have you covering your eyes…well, except for the spiders. I HATE spiders. Spoiler alert: There are spiders in this film!!!
Director André Øvredal pulls together a decent, introductory course to horror with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark being his third work in the horror genre. Under the watchful eye of film making mastermind Guillermo del Toro, this story has a solid base to build upon. Alvin Schwartz, the author of the original novel, would be pleased to see what has been done with his work. This is a throwback to horror films of the 60s and 70s. It’s not all about blood, guts, cursing and nudity.
The young actors featured in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn and Austin Abrams. These aren’t names that necessarily strike a chord when it comes to recognition. And this is probably a good thing because you’ll have nothing and no one to relate them to. Then there’s the fact of not knowing which ones will be safe or which have had their fate already sealed.
Still though, it’s hard to sell the idea of a movie with no recognizable names. Aside from Guillermo del Toro, who is undoubtedly the most notable name involved, this is where a few of the supporting actors come into play. Dean Norris, Gil Bellows and Lorraine Toussaint would be the three actors that should seem familiar. That said, they are very light in the actual “supporting” category.
At 111 minutes, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark feels like a movie that realizes that it should stop before things become excessive. I appreciate the restraint in that this could have easily gone on for another half hour as Øvredal tries to be more thorough. In this case, as with many horror films or films in general, sometimes a little less is the way to go. You will definitely not be terrified by what plays out on screen. The sweet spot, and this should come as no surprise, would be for those in their early teenage years. I think that the older audiences will dismiss much of what transpires but will still find it watchable. Don’t be afraid to check this one out in theaters starting today.
