Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

 

 

 

I will refer to this film as Scary Stories for purposes of this review.  I thought about doing it as an acronym but I didn't like SSTD or SSTTITD or any of the other combos so I'll just go with Scary Stories.  So on with the review.  Scary Stories is a film adaption of a series of books of the same name.  The books, written by Alvin Schwartz, contain stories that aim to introduce kids to the horror genre.

 

Guillermo del Toro produces while Andre Ovredal directs.  The film features a group of teens setting out on Halloween to prank a town bully.  Stars include Zoe Colletti as Stella, Michael Garza as Ramon, Dean Norris as Stella's dad Roy, and Gil Bellows as Chief of Police Turner.  When the prank goes wrong the group hide in an old abandoned house where they find an old book of scary stories.  They soon find themselves trapped in the house and the book begins to write new scary stories; all featuring one of the kids in the group.   

 

 

 

While it's geared towards a younger audience, I think there is something here for everyone.  It won't necessarily knock Mom and Dad's socks off but 12 year old Junior might find it entertaining.  Perhaps a bit scary too, but that's what it's supposed to do.  I've seen Colletti before in Fear the Walking Dead where she was a stand out for a season and she was very good here as well.  Garza, who I have never seen before, also did a decent job and I will look forward to seeing both of them in the sequel that is planned.  I liked the monsters, they were pretty neat and it felt like a nostalgic look back at horror films of the past.  Even though it's only a few years old this would have worked back in the 80's or 90's as well.  It works for me to the total of three dusty old haunted houses out of five.