Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Guillermo del Toro produced this socially conscious, surprisingly grim, “gateway horror” anthology geared toward younger viewers that is based on Alvin Schwartz’s titular trilogy (grotesquely illustrated by Stephen Gammell) and revolves around teenagers in 1968. The film opens with aspiring writer Stella (Zoe Colletti) noting: “Stories hurt and stories heal.” In the shadow of the Vietnam War, a group of friends, led by Stella, whose mother abandoned her and her father several years ago, investigates a haunted house on Halloween. In the small town of Mill Valley, PA, the Bellows family mansion has cast a spooky shadow for years. It was here that young Sarah Bellows (Kathleen Pollard), now a vengeful ghost, turned her imprisoned life into scary stories about memorable monsters, which Stella and her friends now discover. Stella’s buddies include Ramon Morales (Michael Garza), the target of Hispanic racism, Auggie (Gabriel Rush), Chuck (Austin Zajur), and Ruth (Natalie Ganzhorn). Directed by Norway’s André Øvredal, the ensuing tales interweave lies with truth, encouraging youngsters to face and learn from their fears. In “The Red Spot,” a girl pops a pimple on her cheek, releasing hundreds of baby spiders incubating inside her. “The Pale Lady” features a fleshy figure with a smiling, misshapen face relentlessly plodding down a red-lit hallway. “Jangly Man,” a figure who disassembles and reassembles, pursues his prey. And the cockroach-oozing scarecrow “Harold” seeks revenge. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Dark Tales” (5 min.) and “Retro Horror” (5 min.). Extras exclusive to the Blu-ray release include a collection of “Mood Reels” (25 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Creatures from the Shadows” (12 min.), “Set Visits” (5 min.), and “The Bellows Construct” (4 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package—on the Blu-ray edition—for this young adult chiller anthology.] (S. Granger)