Based on the short stories, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark adapts some of the most memorable scares for the screen. The movie makes use of a lot of practical effects and creates some genuinely tense moments. Overall, though, viewers will be more likely to remember specific moments from the movie than the plot of the story.
With a theme of “Stories can hurt, stories can heal,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark tells the tale of a group of teenagers who have the misfortune of coming across a book of scary stories that changes their lives. Based on the short stories of the same name by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories adapts some of Schwartz’s most memorable scares for the screen. But not all stories have a happy ending . . .
The movie does a nice job of bringing the stories to life and provides a common narrative to weave the standalone stories together. While fans of the series will likely be pleased with which stories were chosen for the movie, viewers not familiar with the series will not feel excluded or confused by the story. Though the movie features some tense and memorable scares, the story itself is a bit simplistic and ends on a rather depressing note. Viewers will likely remember specific moments from the movie rather than the overall story.
Here’s a look at the official description – “It’s 1968 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. For a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying home, the stories become all too real in this spine-tingling film produced by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro.”
Produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by Andre Overdal, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark runs 108 minutes and stars Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, Kathleen Pollard, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Abrams, Gil Bellows, and Dean Norris.
Written by Alvin Schwartz and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was a series of short stories released in three volumes between the years 1981 to 1991. The stories were written for children but often perceived as “too dark” and “too adult” by parents. Even the artwork seemed frightening. But the stories, many of which do not end well for the characters, continue to be popular with young readers nearly four decades later.
Given that the short stories were standalone, the movie adaptation introduces a set of characters to create a common narrative and places the story in 1968 Mill Valley. The central character is Stella (Colletti), an aspiring writer who feels ostracized from the rest of the community due to the disappearance of her mother. Stella believes it is her fault her mother left, but her father (Norris) promises she is not to blame. Stella’s only friends are Auggie (Rush) and Chuck (Zajur). While Auggie is the voice of reason in many scenes, Chuck is often the film’s comedic relief.
Passing through town is drifter Ramon (Garza) who has raised the suspicions of the police chief (Bellows). After a Halloween prank on bully Tommy (Abrams) fails, Stella, Chuck, and Auggie flee to the local drive-in and end up hiding in Ramon’s car. When the coast is clear, the friends decide to celebrate what’s left of Halloween night by visiting the haunted Bellows house. Ramon finds a hidden room, and Stella finds a book of horror stories written by Sarah Bellows that she takes home with her.
When she opens the book later, Stella is horrified to find that new stories are being written right before her eyes and that the names and events in the stories correspond to the people around her. One by one, the characters find their nightmares and deepest fears coming to life. As their numbers quickly decrease, the remaining characters must find a way to stop Sarah from writing any more stories.
After a bit of a slow first act that is geared more towards exposition, the movie picks up the pace of the action and introduces more frequent scares in its second act. The plot does not discriminate between characters that the audience will love and hate. Everyone is in danger, and not everyone makes it through the story. By taking out likeable characters and doing so early in the film’s story, the movie introduces a sense of dread that is carried throughout the remaining run time.
The most memorable element of the movie is its individual scares. As the special features reveal, the movie employs practical effects whenever possible and relies very little on CGI. The pacing and camerawork also help to build truly effective jump scares. (Reviewer’s Note: I happened to see this movie in theaters. I have never heard an audience as silent and tense as I did during “The Big Toe” scene. Absolutely silent with dread and anticipation!)
While it feels rare for horror movies to have so blatant a theme, Scary Stories does a nice job of incorporating the idea of “Stories can hurt, stories can heal” throughout the narrative. Sarah’s stories are harmful and oftentimes deadly, whereas Stella writes as a way to heal from the pain of missing her mother. The idea of stories hurting and healing is brought full circle by the film’s final act and Stella’s confrontation of Sarah’s writing. The movie does a nice job of not only incorporating the theme but also of drawing many parallels between Sarah and Stella.
The story’s final act ends on a bit of depressing note. It’s not the end many viewers will be expecting or wanting, but it does leave room for a sequel and the adaption of more of the original short stories. While there is hope for the surviving characters, the sad ending does fit the tone of Schwartz’ stories.
Overall, the movie does a nice job of adapting some of the most iconic short stories. It creates memorable jumps scares and a strong sense of dread for viewers. Unlike many horror films geared towards younger audiences, the movie, much like the short stories, is not afraid to kill off well-liked characters and does not feel the need to wrap up everything with a happy ending. Viewers will likely remember individual scares well after the movie is over.
Is There a Scene After the Credits?
No.
Special Features
The Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital combo comes with the following special features:
- Dark Tales (5:08) – This feature discusses the books, their iconic look and style, what makes them scary, and the must-have stories that were wanted for the movie.
- Retro Horror (5:06) – Unlike many films today, this movie uses as few special effects and as little CGI as possible. It takes an “old school” approach and uses the camera shots, pacing, and costuming to develop its tense moments.
- “The Bellows Construct” Featurette (3:36) – Take a look at the architecture and design of the house used for Sarah Bellows’ home.
- “Creatures From the Shadows” Featurette (11:35) – Realistic monsters were wanted for the movie, and this feature looks at how the monsters were brought to life through makeup, sculpting, and construction. The piece looks specifically at Harold the Scarecrow, The Big Toe, The Red Spot, The Pale Lady, and The Jangly Man.
- Mood Reels (24:27) – Filmed over seven weeks, these mood reels reflect each week’s work and the tone of the footage.
- Behind-the-Scenes Trailers: Set Visits (4:50) – Two on-location scenes, “Halloween Night” and “Asylum,” are shown from the perspective of the cast and crew.
This is a good collection of special features. Both fans of the books and those who have never read them can appreciate the features that look at how the monsters were brought to life. The Behind-the-Scenes Trailers are unique, as are the Mood Reels. While they do offer additional footage not seen in the movie’s final cut, the Mood Reels, the longest feature, kind of feel like a chopped-up recap of the movie. They do offer insight on the sequence in which the film was shot. Likewise, “Retro Horror” will likely appeal to anyone interested in how movies are made. All in all, a decent set of features.
Takeaway
Based on the short stories of the same name by Alvin Schwartz, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark adapts some of Schwartz’s most memorable scares for the screen. The film provides a common narrative in the form of Stella and her friends as a way to weave the standalone stories together. It also does a nice job of keeping the “Stories can hurt, stories can heal” theme throughout the plot. As the special features reveal, the movie makes use of a lot of practical effects and creates some genuinely tense moments. The movie itself ends on a rather depressing note but does offer hope for both a sequel and a more uplifting ending for the surviving characters. Overall, though, viewers will be more likely to remember specific moments from the movie than the plot of the story.
