Shrieks fill the theater, but it isn’t just the sounds of fear you might expect from a horror movie audience. Instead, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is the type of genre film that will have viewers jumping and squirming in their seats — all while also cackling with glee. Based on Alvin Schwartz‘s book series that has haunted generations of kids, this PG-13 terror is a smart, exhilarating adaptation that stays true to the storytelling spirit of the series while expertly evolving it to the medium of film.
While produced and co-written by Guillermo del Toro, “Trollhunter” filmmaker André Øvredal is the perfect fit as director here. His debut used a mockumentary style to poke at Norway’s centuries of troll lore, and ‘Scary Stories’ is similarly concerned with myths and legends — and has a similar sense of fun. Schwartz used folklore as the basis for his books, whose stories were not only read by children of the ’80s and ’90s but also whispered amongst them, both for the benefit of those who weren’t allowed to read the oft-banned books but also in an effort to exorcise the nightmares for those who did read them, whether they had permission to or not.
Rather than turning these tales into an anthology film, del Toro and writers Dan and Kevin Hageman instead establish a frame story that allows them to bring some of Schwartz’s most unsettling work to the screen in a new way. In the days leading up to Richard Nixon’s win in the 1968 presidential election, Halloween begins as a night of pranks for outcast teens Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush), and Chuck (Austin Abrams) in small-town Mill Valley, Pennsylvania. The quirky trio enact justice against varsity-jacket-wearing bully Tommy (Austin Abrams), who is so game for violence that he enlists in the army to fight in Vietnam, while others are desperate to avoid the draft. Stella, Auggie, and Chuck narrowly escape Tommy’s wrath thanks to help from mysterious out-of-towner Ramón (Michael Garza), who faces prejudice in the insular small town but finds acceptance with the teens, who are also on the outskirts socially.
Ramón joins them on their visit to a real haunted house, a towering Victorian that once was home to Mill Valley’s richest family, the Bellows. There, the horror-loving Stella discovers a book that belonged to Sarah Bellows, the daughter who was kept locked in the basement. Stories in the book, from “The Big Toe” to “The Red Spot,” are written before Stella and her friends’ eyes, but they aren’t just appearing in print; they’re happening to the group, with each fearing that they’ll be next to see their name in the book.
‘Scary Stories’ plays with the idea of storytelling in a variety of ways. The film begins and ends with Sarah saying, “Stories heal. Stories hurt. If we repeat them often enough, they become real.” Words and narrative have power, especially at the collective level, and especially when passed down through generations, strengthening with each retelling. Schwartz’s books began as legends and folklore, told around campfires and then at slumber parties, growing even more in people’s minds with the books’ publication and this adaptation. But in the world of the film, stories are more than just words and have the ability to both damn and save people as they become reality.
The script smartly sticks to a handful of tales out of the dozens in the source material, weaving them together into a single narrative and sometimes combining stories to make something even more terrifying. Not every thread — or their integration into the larger narrative – fully works, but it’s an success overall. Some of the monsters here shouldn’t be scary by definition, especially to adults, but thanks to Øvredal’s masterful handle on the film’s tone and the solid special effects work, each new terror absolutely horrifies, even if you’re old enough to have read the books in their first printing. He and his D.P. Roman Osin create visuals that are beautiful as they are eerie, and they nicely bring Stephen Gammell‘s original charcoal illustrations from the books to life. They execute all of this within a PG-13 rating; there’s almost no blood, but that doesn’t mean ‘Scary Stories’ doesn’t have the power to disturb. Despite the book’s younger audience, the film might be a bit much for elementary schoolers, but it’s a nice entry to the genre for those looking for gore-less scares. Scenes are genuinely terrifying at points and pretty gross, working both on their own as well as giving adults a kick of nostalgia, both for the fears of their you as well as for the ’80s kids adventure and horror films that ‘Scary Stories’ nods to.
That nostalgia doesn’t just come from the source material or even the setting, which even book readers likely never experienced since it happened before they were born. But positioning the film around Nixon’s election, the Vietnam War, and the general tumult of the late ’60s is a pointed commentary on from the filmmakers on today’s world and the current administration, even if what they’re saying beyond, “This is bad,” isn’t always entirely clear. Where they’re more successful is in handling Ramón’s story, which echoes contemporary racism against Latinos. Though accepted by Stella, Ramón is treated as an outcast by other people in town and is called a slur several times by people in power. Each time ‘Scary Stories’ positions this as evil, just as dangerous to the newcomer as the supernatural threats are. Kids may not fully grasp the historical context, but teens will see parallels with 2019. They will also understand the film’s message about treating others, especially those who are different, with kindness.
‘Scary Stories’ also deserves praise for its treatment of its female characters, particularly Stella. Young girls who love to be grossed out and creeped out – as well as older ones — will find a kindred spirit in her. The film should also be lauded for how it doesn’t treat her; she’s never leered at, and her love for horror is more than just a slapped-on character trait or an excuse to have cool vintage monster movie posters in her room. It’s what drives her to take Sarah’s book, as well as what makes her the film’s hero.
But even with its serious political commentary, strong sense of morality, and larger commentary on the power of storytelling ‘Scary Stories’ never stops being fun. There are real stakes, but this isn’t the type of horror film that brings the audience down. It’s a thrill to watch at each moment, wondering just how Øvredal and del Toro will terrify you next. [B+]