Review: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Despite being an excellent source material, excellent special effects and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro as a co-producer, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark fails to capture the horror. Instead, it feels weighed down by weak performances, a lack of substance and retreaded horror storytelling that makes the film feel empty. In fact, these scary stories would have been best left in the dark.

Based on the children’s anthology book of the same name, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark follows a group of teenagers after they find a book of stories in an abandoned house. Shortly after, the book itself begins writing horrifying stories about each of the teens and targeting them one by one. 

Major props to director André Øvredal and screenwriters Dan and Kevin Hageman for attempting to adapt the anthological source material into a coherent film. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work. It almost feels like Final Destination in a sense, although done much worse. There’s a catalyst event and a presence proceeds to knock the characters off, with each getting their own scene. While this was a great idea to incorporate several of the anthology stories into the film, it just makes the film feel way too predictable and dragged out.

A monster hunts one of the teenagers through the hallways of a hospital in 2019’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate)

At times, does feel like the film could have benefited from a R-rating. Though, that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t do as much as it can with its PG-13 rating. But it does feel like more could have been done to make this film standout. Perhaps with a higher rating, the film would have a little more appeal to fans of the novel. Sadly, it feels like this film is an adaptation of a book from the Millennial childhood made for the Gen-Z generation, and a lot of that has to do with the rating.

That being said, the best praise that can be given to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are the special effects. That’s because the film chooses to use primarily practical effects and much to its success. The practical effects in this movie are outstanding, if not some of the best ever done in a horror film. With such outstanding developments in CGI, it is somewhat refreshing to see a film go back to these roots and it ultimately makes the dangers in the film feel more real and genuinely terrifying. When CGI is used, however, it is mostly to enhance the practical effects. Except for one scene in the climax of the film, where the CGI is almost laughable, nearly all of the CGI is done well. The effects specialists and filmmakers clearly took a lot of inspiration from the illustrations in the source material, and it feels like one major area of the film that truly succeeds.

Michael Garza as Ramon and Zoe Colletti as Stella in 2019’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate)

The cast in this film is mostly unknown and it definitely shows. Michael Garza as the out-of-towner Ramon Morales is by far the only standout, but this mostly due to his character actually having a fleshed-out backstory. Zoe Colletti is fine in the lead role as the socially awkward Stella, but far from memorable. All the other characters feel like they are just lined up for slaughter, therefore it’s very difficult to feel too attached to any of them.

The film clearly sets up a sequel with its finale, but after the lackluster performance, it feels best to leave Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in your childhood memory bank. While it felt nice to see some of these illustrations come to life on screen, the storytelling and performances are just far too weak to justify ever rewatching this film or even wanting a sequel. 

Grade: 2.5 / 5 Woo’s

Directed: André Øvredal 
Starring: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Gil Bellows & Dean Norris
Release Date: August 9, 2019
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