via Liongate
Even though the genre has been defined by blood and guts for its entire existence, there’s no rule that says audiences can be left cowering in their boots by a PG-13 horror movie, with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark one of the most striking examples.
Sure, mountains of gore and innards strewn across the screen are good for a quick fix and an adrenaline rush, but it’s arguably harder to create an atmosphere of pure terror without having the burgundy crutch on which to lean on. Fortunately, the dream team of Jane Doe’s autopsy director André Øvredal and famous lover of all spooky ideas, Guillermo del Toro’s team delivered the goods.
A little town story with a twist, the 1968 exercise in unrelenting and disturbing fear finds a group of teenagers making the age-old mistake of venturing into the cavernous mansion with a bad reputation, where they find a book written by former resident Sarah Bellows – one that’s more than worthy of the film’s title as increasingly gruesome events begin to unfold.
Hailed by critics and a smash hit at the box office after recouping the $25 million budget four times over, then some, the biggest downside surrounding Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark it’s that we don’t have a sequel yet. It was announced in April 2020, but it’s been a while since we’ve heard any concrete updates on what could be a massively successful and long-running franchise.
Until then, however, fans are free to rewatch what is hopefully just the first chapter of many to come to streaming, with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark captivating a whole new group of on-demand supporters. By FlixPatrolthe jaw-dropping film exploded in popularity to become one of Prime Video’s most-watched titles, but we could definitely see more.
