LogFAQs > #976543646

24. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Peacock)

What a strange but delightful little movie based on a book series. Also notable for being a joint work by director Andre Ovredal (of The Autopsy of Jane Doe phase) and screenplay writer and producer Guillermo Del Toro. And I feel the influence from both of them here.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is about a group of kids who find a book in a home where supposedly a girl was killing kids with her stories. But then stories seem to be written in real time now about everyone who entered the house that day, with terrible conclusions.

I'll start by saying I think this movie is a visual wonder. Each and every one of these stories here look pretty incredible. The monsters they have are just awful and unsettling, and there was such a great job presenting these creatures. Ovredal really knows how to slowly ramp up the terror of it all, and Guillermo del Toro knows how to write it. The best of both worlds here and I love every terrifying story.

The plot itself is a little... lacking in some areas, but very strong in others. For instance, I love how unrelenting and terrifying they manage to make it. They don't pull punches on what kids get got, and how terrible it looks when they get got. It really presents itself as a standard kid's horror movie where the kids go through shenanigans but all come out already in the end, except this one kicks all of those tropes and really allow for some of the kids to get taken. I love that.

And there is just one scene where Dean Norris of all people gives just an incredible monologue and it's just shockingly emotional. Love it so much. It's just as memorable as the awful monsters they create in this.

Now my one issue with the movie is that a lot of the development doesn't actually seem to be fleshed out, and a lot of it just kind of appears there. Like even as great as the Dean Norris speech is, I don't think it's really fleshed out too much prior to that. And then they just kind of throw stuff in there like "Guys, I've had this weird dream, I hope the book doesn't make me relive it." It does. And then the development with Ramon being a draft dodger feels a bit sudden too. I also feel like the conclusion is a little rushed.

But those things don't really bother me as much because there's so much to love in this movie. I'm always happy to watch it again because it really lets creativity flourish. And I can't wait for the sequel that they still maintain is definitely going to happen! I just assume Guillermo Del Toro is just too damn busy anymore to put his focus on it.

Rating: 8/10