Looks like it’s the season of the witch with André Øvredal’s adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s popular children’s horror anthology series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. A familiar group of troubled young teens take it upon themselves to stumble into a creepy house and leave with an arguably creepier book. We find grotesque monsters, sinister corridors, and an angsty reclusive ghost who spends her afterlife writing self-fulfilling prophesies that feature gnarly, bloodcurdling creatures that stalk Øvredal’s misfortunate Mystery Incorporated gang. The question remains whether Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark can live up to the bar set by other horror cinematic features, or fall into the hauntingly obscure bin where so many generic horror flicks reside…
I’m afraid that we woke something up…
That’s quite the understatement, Stella Nicholls
It’s 1968 in the small town of Mill Valley, PA, during, you guessed it, Halloween. And since we’re all advocates of the spooky and gruesome, we all know that nothing bad happens at Halloween. Unless of course you rock up to a haunted house and take a self-writing storybook home with you, that is! Our group is made up of amateur writer and horror fan Stella, and her friends Auggie and Chuck, who are later joined by drifter Ramón. Just like those popular ‘80s friendship circles, this group of friends has a history of being bullied by the likes of Tommy Milner and treated like High School outcasts. But their real life, all too familiar High School horrors are only rivalled when they come across a strange book, previously owned by Sarah Bellows…
Sarah Bellows’ story is drip fed throughout the film as our band of supernatural investigators try to solve the mystery behind a strange disappearance in their neighbourhood, having dared to enter the haunted Bellows’ house. Her tale, as many good ghost stories tend to be, stems from neglect and abuse at the hands of her family, and stories that link her to the deaths of several children in the past. The looming presence of this tale sets the tone, creating a haunting atmosphere and helps to create a sense of world building and dread, somewhat in the vein of It with Derry and Pennywise, albeit without as much lore and metanarrative behind it.
If you’re not familiar with the source material, it’s based on a controversial collection of short children’s horror stories by Alvin Schwarts with disturbing illustrations by Stephen Gammell, bringing together characters which make up the well worn teen adventure. In this regard, Scary Stories doesn’t offer anything new. However, despite this it’s still an enjoyable experience, presenting often overused tropes like a kind of comfort food – even if that food is mildly grotesque thanks to a certain Guillermo Del Toro. While there is an air of predictability about the story and how it unfolds, the tension is craftily presented by the foreshadowing of each characters impending doom – like a Greek tragedy, in which the characters are bound to a fate they are helpless to avert. Much like the shapeshifting abilities of King’s friendly clown, the haunted book preys upon its victim’s fears, creating creatures in an image to haunt them until their inevitable demise.
Some people believe if we repeat stories often enough they become real. They make us who we are. That can be scary
Stella Nicholls
Sarah Bellows’ haunted book helps to create a somewhat linear structure in the film’s plot, but the true horror comes in the form of the many monsters who drag heavy limbs across floor boards, groan guttural chants that echo in claustrophobic spaces, and lumber closer and closer towards you. With the likes of the horrific Jangly Man, the bloated Pale Lady, and a decaying, not quite dead corpse, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark shows its ‘80s monster movie inspiration, with grotesque designs that will likely be burned into your mind when you find yourself alone. The disproportionate features of the Pale Lady are made all the more disturbing thanks to her leathery, bulbous skin, beady black eyes, and a flat mouth that betrays something like a grin, contrasting against the Jangly Man, who can separate his rotting body and assemble himself like an Ikea flatpack as he makes his presence known by his low, husky mantra: “Me Tie Dough-Ty Walker.” Regardless of which monster you find most disturbing, there’s no question they replicate the original concepts from Stephen Gammell and bring them to life. Or rather, afterlife. But then, that’s no surprise when it’s producer is Del Toro. What makes them more unsettling is that there is a greater emphasis on the use of practical effects than CG, giving the creatures a more authentic and therefore disturbing presence. If you hear an unfamiliar husky voice asking for it’s toe back… probably best to make a b-line for the nearest window.
Perhaps the best visual sequences in the film, even if they are a tad on the cliché side, are the eerie atmospheric scenes as well lit corridors darken when corpses begin their stalking route or in the hospital as the corridor turns red. The effect is potent even if some of these designs may seem familiar. I’d be remiss not to mention the atypical suburban setting of 1960s America with references to the contemporary social and political climate. With shots of ‘60s film posters, such as Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, the attention to detail helps establish an authentic feeling for the time-period.
For years, people in this town told lies about me. They locked me away, called me a monster. Now, they will get the monster they all deserve
Sarah Bellows ominous threats
Making up Scary Stories version of Mystery Incorporated, Zoe Colletti stars as the awkward horror fan Stella Nicholls, joined by Michael Garza as Ramón Morales, a mysterious vagabond, Gabriel Rush as Auggie, and Austin Zajur as Chuck. Featuring alongside them are Austin Abrams’ Tommy Milner, the typical High School jock, and Natalie Ganzhorn as Chuck’s sister Ruth – arguably a reference to a character from the original Schwartz tales, fulfilling the expected “popular girl” trope. While Auggie and Chuck may seem like rejected members of the Loser’s gang, they no doubt bring a sense of comic relief and equally add to the suspense, showing genuine fear when faced with their monsters. Likewise, Stella comes across as a typical outcast teen with an obsession with the dark and spooky, while an interesting dynamic is created with Sarah Bellows.
It’s a shame then that, while the horror scenes work well enough and consistently deliver suspense and fear, the film is let down by the quieter moments in between. In particular it is thwart with filler scenes that attempt to provide mediocre character development which adds to the formulaic narrative structure, even if the cast themselves play their roles well. In this regard, the character writing is serviceable at best. It’s a shame, given how other popular contemporary films that focus on High School friendship circles give enough time for these moments to flesh out interesting characters, allowing us to connect with them and feel more emotively responsive when they are put in danger. Suffice to say, when it comes to Scary Stories, you’re here for the monsters not the characters.
Accompanying Gammell’s on-screen terrors is an original score by Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich, which at times echoes something of a Danny Elfman orchestration with thematic melodies, before dissolving into more cliché, though effective, clashing chromatics, drawn out strings, horn blasts, and decaying echoes. “Sarah’s Theme” in particular has an Elfman-esque musical box motif, playing up the ominous nursery rhyme theme, while the low throbbing suspense of “Big Toe” contrasts against the intense “Pale Lady” theme, which uses gritty dynamics to force a sense of claustrophobia and inevitability. Themes like these perfectly encompass the nature of the monsters and scenes they accompany and is one of the highlights of the film. Let’s not forget the superb “Season of the Witch” cover provided by Lana Del Rey, which captures the style of the original with a more occult ambience.
This town has told stories about me, horrible stories. But they don’t realise, I have scary stories of my own
Sarah Bellows
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark may lack deep character writing, however the monsters, setting transformations, and music make this worth watching. Fans of the original anthology stories might also get a kick out of seeing the infamous, if controversial, Gammell illustrations brought to life – even at the risk of reliving their childhood nightmares on the big, very loud screen. Besides a familiar supernatural plot, there is a somewhat compelling moral lesson in how stories can be used to hurt or heal, though realistically a more important message to take away would be not to walk into derelict houses and steal storybooks that write themselves. What is it with suburban American kids and nosing around haunted houses?
