Scare Me

 

Name: Scare Me

Directed By: Josh Ruben

Subgenre: Comedy

Series: Spooktober 2020 entry #1; review #63

Review: To kick off the new decade's season of scary stories, I figured: what better way to celebrate the horror genre than by starting things off with a film about strangers telling each other scary stories? That's the premise of Shudder Original: Scare Me. Unfortunately, that's nearly all it is: two strangers (who both happen to be horror novelists in varying degrees) sitting around a cabin acting out their ideas for scary stories. You'll find more special effects in your local theater than in Scare Me; the first hour and a half of the film is this back-and-forth exchange of tales that takes place entirely in the theater of your own mind. It has a quirky charm about it, with an emphasis on framing and lighting, but not enough to make it all that entertaining. The film stars Aya Cash (i.e. Stormfront from The Boys) and writer-director Josh Ruben who play characters you'd generally really want to avoid getting locked in a cabin with: they're unlikable, but they’re unfortunately relatable. See, Cash's character is an acclaimed horror author while Ruben's is little more than a wannabe, and the distinction is hammed up throughout the film's overlong run-time. Of course, this leads to a fairly predictable climax, but even that feels both rushed and uninspired; what little tension that's built up is quickly and unsatisfyingly dissolved within seconds. Despite labeling itself as a "horror-comedy," there's far too little of either, and while the film has some charm, some honest-to-God great a advice about writing, and more than a little social commentary, it just doesn't coalesce into anything the average viewer will find entertaining. Which is why it's also critically acclaimed. Taking swipes at critics while being critical from the comfort of my own blog? I'll take my Medal of Honor now, thank you very much.

Overall Score: 2 out of 5 Chads with fragile male egos. Did Scare Me scare you? Did that sentence amuse you as much as it did for me? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: Scare Me is available on these platforms.

Official Trailer