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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark poster

Is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark OK for Kids?

HorrorMystery
13+
PG-13⭐ 6.2 / 102019 · 1h 48m
André Øvredal

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United States

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Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
1
Action & Peril
3
Injuries & Death Shown
5
Graphic & Disturbing
  • Tommy is transformed into a scarecrow, impaled and strangled by straw/hay before disappearing entirely
  • Ruth is attacked by spiders crawling on her face and body during a school bathroom scene
  • Auggie discovers a human toe in stew and is then hunted through his house by a disembodied corpse voice demanding 'Who took my toe?'
  • Ramon is hit by a car driven by the skeletal Jangly Man creature, whose bones crack as it tears apart
  • Historical flashbacks show Sarah Bellows being electrocuted during psychiatric torture, and her death by hanging is referenced multiple times as an implied suicide
  • Stella is dragged into a basement by ghostly manifestations of the Bellows family
  • Violence is largely supernatural/horror-based rather than realistic combat, with deaths and injuries shown through fantastical creature attacks and disappearances
💬Language
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
4
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
25
Strong
(sh*t)
1
Extreme
(f**k)
  • Characters say 's**t' (12 times), 'da**' (4 times), 'hell' (3 times), 'a**/a**hole' (3 times), and 'turd' (3 times)
  • Milder language includes 'cr*p/cruddy' (2 times), 'butt-pimple' (1 time), and 'perv' (1 time)
  • One use of the racial slur 'wetback' is present in the dialogue, which is a significant flag for parents
  • No f-words or c-words detected, but the combination of frequent strong profanity and a slur pushes this into extreme territory
👻Scary Scenes
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mildly Tense
1
Startling Moments
4
Genuinely Scary
4
Deeply Disturbing
  • The discovery of Sarah Bellows' hidden room where she was locked away by her family is presented as deeply disturbing
  • Ruth is attacked by supernatural spider swarms during a stage performance, a genuinely frightening sequence
  • Auggie is hunted through his house by a disembodied corpse voice, and Chuck is trapped in a hospital 'red room' as Sarah's voice whispers from a recording
  • The Jangly Man, an articulated skeleton creature with cracking bones, manifests to chase Ramon in an intense sequence
  • Stella experiences a possession-like flashback of the Bellows family dragging her into the basement, revealing Sarah's original trauma
  • Multiple jump scares occur throughout as creatures and supernatural events manifest suddenly
  • Scary scenes are resolved through the teens uncovering and telling the truth about Sarah's story, which is framed as redemptive rather than simply defeating a monster
💕Romance
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
3
Crushes & Holding Hands
0
Kissing & Dating
1
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • Ramon and Stella meet at a drive-in and develop a mutual attraction, with Ramon defending his interest despite Chuck's comment that 'she's not anyone's type'
  • Their connection grows throughout the film, culminating in Ramon writing Stella letters daily at the end
  • Chuck makes a suggestive comment about Ramon wanting to visit the haunted house as a date activity
  • No kissing, sexual content, or physical intimacy is depicted — romance is limited to crushes and emotional connection
🍺Substances
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
3
Mentioned in Passing
1
Shown Casually
0
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • References are made to troops developing Hodgkin's lymphoma from toxic chemicals, and mercury poisoning from mill water that poisoned children — both mentioned in historical/expository context
  • Tommy is implied to be drunk when a character asks 'Are you drunk again?' regarding his failure to deliver eggs for the Halloween prank
  • The Vietnam War draft is discussed, including Ramon's own draft notice and the theme of draft dodging
  • Substance use is not glorified; it is either mentioned in passing or shown as a character flaw (Tommy's drinking)
⚡Stimulation
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
1
Exciting
3
Intense
1
Overwhelming
  • The Halloween opening with trick-or-treating preparation is energetic and exciting but not overwhelming
  • The drive-in confrontation with Tommy and the lettermen bullies, and breaking into the Bellows House to discover Sarah's secret room, are intense sequences
  • Story manifestations escalate throughout the film, with each supernatural event becoming more violent and overwhelming than the last
  • Chase sequences involving the Jangly Man creature and the hospital escape are fast-paced and intense
  • Sensory-sensitive children may find the escalating horror sequences and jump scares overwhelming, particularly in the film's back half
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being marketed as a family-friendly horror film, the movie contains a racial slur ('wetback') used once in dialogue, along with 12 uses of 's**t' and other strong profanity — parents expecting PG-13 horror scares may be caught off guard by the language content.

About Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Set in 1968, this horror film follows a group of teenagers who discover a mysterious book of scary stories written by the tormented Sarah Bellows, and find that each story they read comes true in horrifying, often fatal ways. As the group races to uncover the truth about Sarah's tragic past and stop the deaths, the film blends supernatural horror with themes of trauma, scapegoating, and historical injustice.

👨‍👧
Best watched together
The disturbing historical content around Sarah's electrocution torture and implied suicide, combined with genuinely frightening sequences like the spider attack on Ruth and the Jangly Man chase, may benefit from a parent present to help teens under 15 process the trauma-focused themes and heavy content.

Family Takeaways from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

What it gets right

  • ✓The film gives real emotional weight to Sarah Bellows' backstory, revealing via the wax cylinder recording that she was tortured by her own family and was innocent — reframing the 'villain' as a victim
  • ✓Stella's arc of choosing to tell Sarah's true story rather than let harmful legends persist models the value of empathy and correcting injustice

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Faith & Religion
●Religious mockery depicted

The film portrays Christianity through Sarah Bellows' persecution by Puritan townspeople who branded her as a witch. Religious authority figures are depicted as cruel and superstitious oppressors who torture and murder an innocent woman.

Community Notes

  • Use of the racial slur 'wetback' in dialogue may be flagged by parents and community groups as inappropriate given the film's marketing toward younger teen audiences
Cast:Zoe CollettiDean NorrisMichael GarzaGabriel RushGil Bellows

Is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✓Age 13: Generally appropriate for 13-year-olds
✓Age 15: Generally appropriate for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

  • Is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appropriate for a 13-year-old?
  • Does Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark have violence?
  • Is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?

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