Just How Terrifying Is Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark?

How scary is the new horror movie Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? Directed by André Øvredal and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro, the children’s book series adaptation features an ensemble cast, including Zoe Margaret Colleti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Dean Norris, and Gil Bellows. The screenplay was written by del Toro, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman. The original short story collection was created by writer Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark takes place in 1968 America. In the town of Mill Valley, a group of local teenagers learn about the dark secrets at the Bellow family mansion. Once upon a time, a young girl named Sarah Bellow coped with her emotional trauma by writing numerous dark tales. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark follows the Mill Valley teenagers as they experience horror at the infamous mansion, and the film’s official trailer includes the original monsters Harold the Scarecrow and The Pale Lady, along with a new creation known as Jangly Man.

Given the popularity of the original tales – published in 1981, 1984, and 1991 – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will attract adults who grew up reading the series, along with younger viewers looking for a proper scare. But how much violence and gore does Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark include? The MPAA has given Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark a PG-13 rating (meaning nobody under 13 can see unsupervised) for “terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language including racial epithets, and brief sexual references,” while the BBFC has given it a 15 rating (meaning nobody under 15 will be admitted). But what does all that really mean? Here are the spoiler-free basics for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

How Terrifying Is Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark?

Given the PG-13 rating, parents can feel relatively comfortable when sending their teenagers to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The creepy storyline is constructed to frighten viewers, of course, but the film doesn’t match the visual gore of a recent R-rated film like Crawl. As a whole, it’s the threat of monster attacks that will likely scare viewers the most, and certainly the nightmarish visuals.

How Violent Is Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark?

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark includes numerous scenes that depict violence, such as physical attacks. The film does indeed have a small bit of blood during confrontational scenes; however, the dream-like visuals are devoid of any gore.

The Rest Of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark’s Rating: Swearing And Nudity

Note that Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark does have some adult-themed dialogue. There’s profanity, slang, and even racially-themed terms that some viewers may find offensive. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark also includes sexual references but does not feature any character nudity.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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