Not to be confused with Scare Me, the anthology movie about aspiring writers testing their scary stories on each other; Scare Us is an anthology movie about aspiring writers testing their scary stories on each other. As serial killer ‘Cutthroat’ claims his victims on the streets of small town Sugarton, a group of writers meet to share scary stories. As they swap their terrifying tales, it becomes clear that Cutthroat too, has taken an interest.
Scare Us’s real-life audiences, however, may be altogether less invested. As is a kind of tradition (The ABCs of Death; Deathcember), this anthology feature employs guest directors for each of its entries (Carl Jensen IV, Ryan Henry Johnston, Ryan Kjolberg, Charlotte Lilt, Tom J. McCoy and Jordan Pillar), but maintains a consistent tone and aesthetic. Sadly, that aesthetic is a dreary muted look, populated with wooden performances and stilted deliveries.
Still, everyone manages to conjure up a creepy bit of imagery when the time comes, and the segment “Dead Ringer” is, at least, louder and more energetic than the others. Of the five stories, “the Resting” is perhaps the most effective, taking advantage of the gloomy visuals and off-kilter performances to craft something genuinely unsettling and memorable.
It’s film critic cliché to wheel out the ‘mixed bag’ descriptor when it comes to anthology horror movies, but here we are. Scare Us is fitfully effective, but ultimately fails to live up to its own lofty ambitions.
