A Long List Of The Many Things I Loved About ‘Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.’

A Long List of the Many Things I Loved About ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.’

A cast of legitimately likable teenage characters (minus the obligatory jackass, of course). Usually teenage horror movie characters are so obnoxious that you find yourself rooting for the killer whereas here I didn’t want any of them to get hurt aside from Tommy.

Great atmosphere and set design, some shots look like they should be paintings.

Practical effects! Gotta love them! God, those monsters look like the literally stepped right off the page.

As someone who enjoys something solid in my horror movies, I greatly appreciated the socio-political commentary and subject to the film.

Solid, enjoyable acting across the board, even if the dialogue is sometimes clunky.

Usually in fiction when there is a quirky trio of outcasts it is arranged thusly: Main character/hero (male), comic relief best friend (male), and the girl who is almost always the main heroes love interest. However, in this film Stella is the lead while Auggie and Chuck are HER sidekicks. The romance also comes from an outside 3rd party, though there are a few lines that seem to suggest Auggie has some less-than-platonic feelings for Stella.

One that note, Stella is NEVER SEXUALIZE! Yes, she is only about 15 but that hasn’t stopped other films. The film even rises above having her dress as a sexy witch! Also, despite the obvious attraction between the two, the romance between Stella and Ramon is kept appropriate due to they’re age difference and yet is still both compelling and endearing.

Continuing on that, all the men in Stella’s life are protecting and encouraging figures. Her father, despite not being as present as he’d like to be, encourages her to go out with her friends and have fun (remember, in the 60s a girl hanging out with only boys would be odd and the subject of gossip), Auggie and Ramon both encourage her to share her writing, Auggie and Chuck stuck by her growing up are notable angered when Charlie brings up Stella’s mom. MORE OF THESE KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS HOLLYWOOD!

Ramon’s reaction to Stella crawling into his car vs Ramon’s reaction to Chuck and Auggie crawling into his car. It’s basically -🤨😉🥰 vs 🤨😒🙄.

Stella and Ramon meeting during a screening of and bonding over a showing ‘Night of the Living Dead’. Not only because it’s incredibly fitting and I love the film, but because my own grandparents had they’re first date going to see that film when they were 15 and are still happily together 47 years later.

Stella and Ramon’s adorably innocent romance? I’m a complete slut for it. Hand holding, head on shoulder, long emotional embraces, forced apart by fate but communiating through letters? These are all things I LOVE!

Ramon showing off a bit for Stella. The lockpicking? The switchblade reveal? The instant protectiveness? Come on, he’s peacocking because while he’s a total sweetheart, he’s also a teenage boy.

Chuck and Auggie’s Halloween costumes. Chuck: I want to be Spider-Man! Chuck’s mom: We don’t have the rights!

Auggie being the most realist depiction of a hungry teenage boy. He doesn’t know where this mystery stew came from and neither does his mom and his friends are begging him not to eat anything but DAMNIT he’s hungry so down the hatch!

THE LOOK ON AUGGIE AND CHUCK’S FACES WHEN RAMON AND STELLA START TO FLIRT IN FRONT OF THEM WHICH CAN THUS BE SUMMED UP AS ‘WTF IS HAPPENING?’ As someone who grew up with mostly guy fiends they’ve all told be they have similar reactions when other men started showing interest in me.