Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

About Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" is a horror film directed by André Øvredal and based on the children’s book series by Alvin Schwartz. The plot revolves around a group of young kids who find a book that was written by Sarah Bellows - a young girl with dark secrets - in her haunted house. The scary stories that the book contains start coming true, wreaking havoc on the teenagers.

Making / Production

This film is the cinematic adaptation of the popular book series by Alvin Schwartz. The script, written by Dan and Kevin Hageman, creatively incorporates a number of the memorable tales from the book in the plot. The movie was produced by CBS Films, Entertainment One, and Lionsgate, with Guillermo del Toro serving as one of the producers and contributing to the screenplay.

Actors

• Zoe Margaret Colletti (Stella Nicholls) — As the main character, Stella, Zoe Margaret Colletti delivers a convinced performance positioning her character at the center of the horror.
• Michael Garza (Ramón Morales) — Michael Garza convincingly plays the role of a passing-by stranger who reluctantly gets embroiled in the horror.
• Gabriel Rush (Auggie Hilderbrandt) — Gabriel Rush successfully played Auggie - the comic relief in this horror film, providing lightness in contrast to the overall dark theme.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film takes place in the year 1968, the same year that the first book of the series was published.
• Director André Øvredal stated that the film was heavily influenced by horror classics such as 'Halloween' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.
• The character "Harold the Scarecrow" is based on a story in one of the original books, and his design in the movie reflects his illustration in the book.

Quotes

• “You don't read the book. The book reads you." - Stella
• “Stories hurt, stories heal. If we repeat them often enough, they become real." - Sarah Bellows
• “We're next. We're next." - Auggie

Music, Soundtrack

• The soundtrack was composed by Anna Drubich and Marco Beltrami and is filled with ominous, atmospheric horror cues that complement the onscreen tension perfectly.
• The title theme "Season of the Witch" by Donovan, and "Set Me Free" by Lee Montgomery, help anchor the film's 1968 setting.

Awards

In 2020, 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' won the award for 'Best Horror Film' at the 'Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA'.