Movie Review: “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a flawed but entertaining slice of gateway horror

Movie Review: “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (PG-13)

Stories have the power to hurt and to heal. This conceit is at the very heart of this sometimes inconsistent but often creepy adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s teen-centric horror books, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” popular collections of short stories that, I must confess, I have never read. This cinematic take on Schwartz’s source material comes to us courtesy of director André Øvredal (“Trollhunter,” “The Autopsy of Jane Doe”) and writer/producer Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Devil’s Backbone”). While the very idea of horrific things from a book springing to terrifying life sounds a bit like the movie version of “Goosebumps,” there’s enough drama, heady themes, political messages, and social commentary here to separate this from that light and airy R.L. Stine-inspired kids’ movie.

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” takes place during Halloween in the late ’60s and weaves its sinister tale around a group of teenagers, led by sweet-natured but emotionally distraught monster kid Stella Nicholls (Zoe Margaret Colletti), who find themselves pursued by an evil force after a mysterious book is plucked from the basement of a deserted house. Said house has a rather dark history involving a family who lived there several years earlier, and it is this family’s secrets along with that mysterious book that propel a creepy plot that finds our teenage protagonists coming face to face with, among other things, a scarecrow, a big toe, a dismembered corpse, and thousands of spiders. Scarier still is the enraged evil force controlling all of this madness.

Øvredal’s direction here is superb. Not only does he create a wonderfully creepy atmosphere but he also manages to beautifully capture the spirit and detail of late ’60s small-town USA. Additionally, this terrific storyteller mounts a handful of perfectly horrific set pieces that are delightfully scary — and icky — without being too extreme.

Some of the ghostly themes del Toro explores here as a co-writer (alongside Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Marcus Dunston, and Patrick Melton) were tackled to stronger and more concise affect in past productions he’s been involved in (see “Devil’s Backbone,” “The Orphanage,” and “Mama” just to name a precious few), but there’s still a lot here that makes this PG-13 rated horror show well worth seeing. Del Toro has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and manages to bring equal measures of horror and dramatic weight to the proceedings. He even goes so far as to inject his own youthful persona into the proceedings in the form of ensemble character Ramon Morales (Michael Garza), the stoic, horror-loving object of Stella’s affection.

While we’re on the topic of this film’s engaging teenage protagonists, it should be noted that Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, and Natalie Ganzhorn all bring their own distinctive personality traits to the table. As solid as these young cast members are, Colletti proves to be the stand out, bringing a vulnerability and toughness to the role of a young woman trying to survive the pain that comes with a broken home — all while attempting to keep her friends alive.

Rounding out the solid but underutilized supporting cast are Austin Abrams as a vindictive high school bully, Gill Bellows as a slightly racist town sheriff, Lorraine Toussaint as a woman with a connection to the book and to the house from which it came, and Dean Norris as Stella’s heartbroken father.

Overall, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a pretty darn entertaining slice of gateway horror. In addition to its previously mentioned attributes, it offers up outstanding makeup effects and striking visuals, and it’s all punctuated by a very effective score by Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich. It’s a shame that the movie doesn’t always hit the mark, but it’s still a fun ride.

Ultimately, Øvredal and del Toro prove to be quite the formidable fanboy team. This dynamic duo pepper this movie with a plethora of winks at the likes of “The Neverending Story,” “The Ring,” “Final Destination,” “The Thing,” “The Terminator,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Trick R Treat,” and perhaps more obviously the many works of Stephen King (most notably “It,” “Stand By Me,” “The Mist,” and “Creepshow”) — all while paying joyful homage to Schwartz’s beloved source material.

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” does lull at times, and yes, the chosen narrative structure does tend to give the movie a fragmented feel. But there’s a lot of creepy, atmospheric fun to be had here, and I applaud the bittersweet ending for offering up a glimmer of hope without copping out. Most importantly, though, any movie that suggests storytelling itself has the power to transcend is okay in my book.

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