“Scare Me” premiered at Sundance 2020. The new horror movie from Josh Ruben dropped on the Shudder platform on October 1st making it a perfect accompaniment if you’re missing Halloween. A directorial debut for Ruben, he also wrote and stars in the campfire tale storytelling, single location show. If you like the thought of bringing spooky stories to life to the creature comforts of your own home, Scare Me is the perfect way to feel like you’re camping.
In Scare Me Ruben stars as Fred and his voice and his storytelling ability far outweigh my own meager attempts. More akin to two ventriloquists who happen to be exceptionally talented at imitating quite the collection of monsters, personalities, and sound bites, Fred is joined by Fanny. Fanny comprises the role of the successful novelist about to launch a horror book. Aya Cash plays Fanny, the newest face of Stormfront in the smash series, The Boys. Both have so much enthusiasm and personality, I wish I could hire them for a party sometime.
Scare Me, Shudder
But “Scare Me” isn’t just two people riding out a storm in a cabin telling stories. Fanny and Fred are competing. Fred is a writer, a filmmaker, and more on the edge of giving up. Much to his chagrin, he realizes quickly that Fanny is not only about to smash all his goals but she’s simply better than him at what he does. And she knows it too. Fanny b*tchslaps him often and with a grin and sometimes peanut butter on her face.
Of course, the “Scare Me” movie wouldn’t be much without something that allows it to level up. This is where the cinematography and sound effects come in. My favorite horror film Let the Right One In ended up being turned into a stage play, and as much as I wanted to Scare Me to work in every aspect, it’s easier to imagine this as a stage play than a 104-minute collection of stories. Shadows appear at the behest of the narrative. Thunderclaps rumble at the mere mention of it during a particularly grisly story about a young girl trying to kill her grandfather.
Scare Me Is Not Trying to Scare You
The atmospheric tension is not garnered from the stories they tell. Like an anthology collection, some moments are more memorable than others. Scare Me isn’t trying to scare anyone with Fanny and Fred’s emotive adventures of werewolves, hauntings, and murder. The real story is about the make-it-or-break-it reality of talented people.
The harsh realities of those with a vested interest in their body of work. The competitive nature of the fact there is always someone better at what you think you are good at. How far are you willing to go to reach the heights of your competitors? With so many mimics in various forms, does a generic mash-up really mean you shouldn’t be successful? Should unique and never been done before guaranteeing you those same fruits of fame?
In any case, Josh Ruben‘s Scare Me is a fun and well-constructed look at the perils of realizing your dreams. It’s imaginative well performed and a totally appropriate way to kick off Halloween or anytime you need some scary stories to tell.
Scare Me (Shudder) is rated
3.5 Riding a movie to greater heights with Aya Cash out of 5
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