Scary Stories (from a Dark Allie)

I heard a lot about this movie while it was in production and as it was released, but I only just got around to watching it. I really wanted to like it! It’s got a lot of familiar faces! And yet…

As I was watching this rather long movie, I was thinking about why it hits so hard and feels so terrifying. I think it’s because it’s a film about the possible horrors of being a young woman…directed and written by women. So it’s more chilling and feels more real than either Men or A Thousand Little Cuts.

So…this movie had a lot going for it, but it really failed to live up to any of those things.

I have some mixed feelings on this one. My biggest question, I guess, is why some of the cover art is a bit of a spoiler on its own? I guess not terribly so, but somewhat.

Okay, so I said before that I like Lochlyn Munro, and I enjoy his performances and would love to see more of him. Well, I’m not sure this is quite the “more of him” I was looking for, but it wasn’t all bad.

In honor of the fact that I’m being eaten alive by mosquitoes this month, I watched yet another “eco-horror” movie.

Sadly, it doesn’t seem like eco-horror is quite my cup of tea. I liked this one about as much as Long Weekend and Day of the Animals, which is to say…not very much.

Similarly to last night’s movie, I liked this movie more than I expected, but it kind of fell apart at the end.

I liked this movie more than I expected. Turns out I really like Zach Gilford in scary things! I also like Amanda Crew, and while I don’t think I’ve seen either Alisha Wainwright or Carlos Santos in much before, I liked them both here. And the kids…well, there was definitely something wrong with them, but not with their performances.

I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve mentioned and appreciated some understated opening credits, but that’s what immediately struck me about this movie. I liked the tense opening music and the old-school style font! I was also a little surprised to see Drew Barrymore’s name in the opening as an executive producer! So this movie got off to a good start.

I don’t think I like this movie as much as Midsommar, but I still like it quite a bit. So it’s maybe a low four stars for me. It definitely feels as long as it is, but there’s a LOT packed into those two hours.

So, this movie is not without its problems, but…I liked it a surprising amount. I thought Ashley Benson did a great job as Emma, who goes through most of this film unaware of what’s happening around her (while the audience is placed in a voyeuristic position). And the more you see of her just going about her normal days…honestly, the scarier the film gets.

So, Alien: Romulus is coming out in theaters next month, which means it’ll probably be another couple of months until I get around to watching it at home, but I am excited for it! So I’m (re)watching this in anticipation, and because it wasn’t yet released in 2016.

I really wanted to like this one. I’d never seen it before, but I love John Carpenter and I like a lot of cult-favorite films! But I didn’t really like this one.