Divisions within fandoms aren’t anything new. Sports have seen die hard fans for as long as the NFL has existed. People have their favorite actors, who have taken up the mantle of James Bond or Batman, for instance. Growing up in the 1990s, there was an unlikely division for us kids. Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? or R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. It seemed like you could never be a fan of both, you had to love one and hate the other. Maybe this wasn’t everyone’s experiences but for the friends I surrounded myself with - this seemed like an absolute statement. In retrospect, it seems kind of stupid. R.L. Stine was a far superior writer when it came to actually telling the stories. However, Afraid allowed for different stories to be told much more smoothly, under the guise of the Midnight Society.
This review is submitted for approval by the Midnight Society. Although, I’m still waiting to hear back from them, I guess I can give you guys a sneak peak into my thoughts on Scare Me. Taking a page from the classic Nickelodeon show, Scare Me tells the story of Fred, played by the film’s writer and director Josh Ruben, and Fanny, played by Aya Cash. Fred is an inspiring author, while Fanny on the other hand is a best selling author. The two come together to tell ghost stories during a black out while working on their latest creations, respectively. Even though the majority of the film focuses on scary stories, it never feels like a horror movie. It treats itself like a comedy through and through. That’s honestly it’s greatest strength.
This is the first time in, what seems like forever, that I’ve had a film authentically bring me to tears from laughing. The secret to the success of the movie is none other than the chemistry between Cash and Ruben. The two are far from strangers; having worked on the FX series You’re the Worst together. Here, though, the two are just insanely entertaining. This ventures into the realms of various subgenres within horror without ever taking itself too seriously. I would even dare to call Scare Me this decade’s Scream. The script that Ruben wrote is nothing short of incredible. Adding in, even for as briefly as it does, Chris Redd, a Saturday Night Live alum, only solidifies that deal to make Scare Me one of this year’s best comedies.
Unfortunately, it begins to fall apart at the end. Redd’s character is a pizza delivery man who only encompasses about a half hour of screentime. He is incredibly effective with his time. However, after the narrative says goodbye to his character, the movie quickly falls apart. This is largely due to the fact that it ventures outside of its intelligent comedic roots. As previously mentioned, this is supposed to be a horror comedy. Probably the last twenty minutes of the movie straight up drop the comedy and head down the darkest path possible. It’s a very subtle change but it’s noticeable. Ruben feels like he’s aiming to keep the comedy aspect of the movie alive, while Cash is straight-up terrifying; the duality results in a sloppy and sad end to this otherwise tremendous movie.
Overall, Scare Me is one of this year’s best comedies, by a landslide. The chemistry between Josh Ruben and Aya Cash is nothing short of brilliant. When the narrative adds in Saturday Night Live alum Chris Redd, find tissues fast because you’ll quickly be in tears from laughing. Its simplistic narrative and witty humor make this a phenomenal horror comedy. Once it ventures away from the comedic roots, Scare Me is just a sloppy copycat of the very films it's aiming to parody. Everything before that moment places Scare Me in the running to make it this generation’s Scream. Nothing short of entertaining, Scare Me will make you laugh until it hurts and you’ll want to come right back to it.
RORSCHACH RATING:
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT: There is a moment during the film’s final act, when Fred confesses to Fanny about how much their ghost stories meant to him. How it took his mind off of his terrible life. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of the simpler things in life. Never be afraid to be nostalgic. As Dwight Schrute says, nostalgia is a secret weapon. Sometimes that’s all we need. My challenge wouldn’t necessarily be to live in the past through memories but find ways to recreate said moments in the present with friends and family. It takes your mind off of the depressing aspects and forces you to come in to get creative.
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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Scare Me is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights. This review was edited by Cam Smith. Scare Me is now streaming exclusively on Shudder!
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