Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

This is a solid horror movie, thanks to its source material, its freakish monsters, its definite jump scares and good performances by Colletti and Garza.

The plot takes many twists with an ingeniously designed set of monsters creating havoc at regular intervals.

The film... is a loving and faithful adaptation, even if it gets lost in its attempt to wrap the whole thing up in a neat metaphor.

It's slightly baggy, and could deal with some reigning in, but the characters are well-done, and you like the stories...it writes itself into the fiction, and it's good filmmaking...

The genre tropes are all alive and well and Scary Stories delivers them with élan but the dispiriting ending hangs over everything like a pall.

Proof, once again, that a creaky floorboard, judiciously used, is worth more than any expensive digital trickery.

Attempts to replicate Gammell's iconic visuals mostly work, but the Vietnam backstory is undercooked, villain Tommy is dispatched too early and most of the set pieces are too brief. What worked in Schwartz's campfire tales doesn't translate to screen

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a distinct horror flick, with well-developed leads, and a creative approach to a unique premise.

When Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark brings Gammell's art to life, it's terrifying.

Episode 46: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark / Share / The King of Comedy