It was hours beyond a reasonable person’s bedtime. The newest show on Amazon Prime kept me up longer than it should have. I checked to see if the episode was almost over – still 17 minutes left to go. I knew I shouldn’t watch the rest and should try to get some sleep so that I could dread hearing my alarm, only to subconsciously hit snooze twice, the next morning. I dragged my feet as I went upstairs to my room. I lazily brushed my teeth and jumped in bed, ready to shut my eyes for a solid 5 1/2 hours of sleep.
After plugging in my phone, the screen lit up, only to darken six seconds later. In perfect darkness, I shut my eyes. From behind my eyelids, I see….her.
The pale lady.
Slowly walking up my stairs, knowing that I have nowhere to run. And even if I did, she would inevitably find me…and smile her wide, unnatural smile.
I open my eyes and look at the darkness pouring in from my open bedroom door and, of course, see nothing. Everything is fine in reality, because it has to be. I slump back down and close my eyes and she’s standing above my bed, smiling wider than before.
I’m afraid to open my eyes for irrational fear that maybe all these years and all these imaginations have finally come to cash in all the mental investment I’ve placed in them. I finally open my eyes and nothing is there. What a relief! But, every time I close my eyes…she is there…smiling at me.
I’m just a few short years away from 40. I live alone. And I got spooked by a scene from a PG-13 scary movie.
Granted, it doesn’t hurt that it’s an adaptation of the Alvin Schwartz books – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, which helped encourage my love of horror as a child. In my grade school years, I devoured these three books, which are simply collections of folklore all wrapped up in something perfect for campfire tales and trampoline sleepovers. However, the horror of these books is magnified by the unspeakably insidious art of Stephen Gammell. I wouldn’t be surprised if Satan himself possessed the hand of Gammell and singlehandedly drew these hellish abominations.
Adapting a few of these creatures is what the movie version excels at. The story of Harold the scarecrow has haunted me since my prepubescent days. Seeing him, along with a few other favorites, was a nightmare come true. The influence of producer, Guillermo Del Toro is strong, especially when The Jangly Man makes his entrance.
Now, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark offers little new to the horror genre. It plays every trope as if it’s the first of its kind. There are poorly explained mysteries to be solved and an overly complex backstory that gives a reason for the haunted book that brings its stories to life. The concept is similar to Goosebumps (2015), but thankfully replaces the silly antics with looming threats and actual death.
This may be a new favorite gateway horror movie. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t go darker. One day I hope there’s an R-rated version released. However, the book series was essentially for kids (even with stories of dismemberment, cannibalism and decay) and this movie bridges the gap of very scary for kids and a great reminder of what scared older people when we were that age.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark seems like a simple, fun watch that you may forget about until the late hours when the horrifying imagery creeps into your head and makes you hide in your bed. It’s a surprisingly solid entry into a good year for horror and a refreshing scary flick that most everyone can watch. B
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