A Possessed Scarecrow & Things That Go Bump in the Night
31 Days of Movies for Spooky Season
Welcome back to Spooktober, dear readers! Day 18’s movie is a nostaglic spooky watch.
Title: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Directed By: André Øvredal
Release Date: August 9, 2019
Where to Watch: Netflix
Synopsis: The shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large in the small town of Mill Valley for generations. It's in a mansion that young Sarah Bellows turns her tortured life and horrible secrets into a series of scary stories. These terrifying tales soon have a way of becoming all too real for a group of unsuspecting teens who stumble upon Sarah's spooky home.
Non-spoiler thoughts: This one is for my fellow people who read the books as a child. It was an engaging and eye-catching film while staying true to the scary stories from the books. Watching this for the first time in theaters brought nostalgia and spooky vibes.
WARNING: The following summary contains SPOILERS.
You have been warned…
As Halloween night descends upon the fictional town of Mill Valley, the air is thick with suspense. Young Ramon arrives, unaware that this night will intertwine his fate with chilling legends. Nearby, horror aficionado Stella Nicholls and her friends Chuck and Auggie are plotting a prank on the school bully, Tommy Milner. Their plan escalates when they decide to vandalize Tommy’s car while he and his friends unleash their aggression on a neighborhood scarecrow named Harold.
After a narrow escape from Tommy's wrath at the drive-in theater, Stella invites Ramon to join them in exploring the eerie Bellows house—home to the infamous Sarah Bellows, a woman accused of poisoning local children. As they break in, the group stumbles upon Sarah's old book of horror stories, a find that soon traps them in a web of dark magic and vengeful spirits.
Locked in a room by Tommy, the friends discover the book holds a sinister power. When Tommy taunts Harold once more, the scarecrow comes to life, exacting a brutal revenge that transforms Tommy into something unrecognizable. The next day, rumors swirl as the town realizes Tommy is missing.
Stella and Ramon’s investigation leads them to more chilling revelations about the Bellows family, including Lulu Baptiste, a former maid tied to Sarah's tragic past. Meanwhile, each turn of the page reveals another horror—Auggie's encounter with "The Big Toe" sends him to a fate worse than death, and Ruthie faces her terror in the form of a spider swarm from “The Red Spot.”
As Stella dives deeper into Sarah’s story, the reality of the book's power becomes undeniable. She learns that Sarah was framed by her own family for the town’s tragedies, her spirit now trapped in the pages of her cursed book.
When Stella and Ramon uncover recordings of Sarah’s electroshock treatments, they realize the truth: Sarah’s family poisoned the town’s water and blamed her for the children’s deaths. In a harrowing encounter, Chuck is absorbed by the monstrous Pale Lady, forcing Stella and Ramon to confront their fears and the malevolent force of the book.
As they navigate the horrors unleashed by the book, the friends struggle to escape the Jangly Man—an embodiment of their fears. In a desperate bid for survival, Stella stands up to Sarah’s ghost, promising to tell the truth about her tragic past if she ends the cycle of violence. With a quill in hand, Stella writes Sarah’s story in her blood, freeing her spirit and halting the onslaught of terror.
With the darkness lifted, Ramon prepares to answer his draft call for Vietnam, exchanging heartfelt farewells with Stella. She sends him off with a promise to write, a symbol of hope amidst the horrors they faced together.
Stella’s resolve doesn’t waver as she pens an article revealing the truth about the Bellows family’s legacy. Though many remain skeptical, she is determined to share Sarah’s story and find a way to rescue her lost friends, Auggie and Chuck.
As Mill Valley’s haunted past comes to light, Stella embarks on a new journey—one that blends courage with the power of storytelling, determined to ensure that the tales of Sarah Bellows are finally told.