Scare Me
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mostly effective horror storytelling has violence, language.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Scare Me
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In SCARE ME, ad man Fred (Josh Ruben) rents a remote cabin so he can write his first screenplay, a werewolf movie, in peace and quiet. While out jogging, he meets his neighbor, Fanny (Aya Cash), who's already published an acclaimed horror novel and is working on her next. When the power goes out (and the battery on Fred's computer is spent), Fanny shows up at his door and suggests that they pass the time by telling scary stories. She orders a pizza and commands Fred to begin. Fred starts but quickly realizes that he's outclassed by Fanny, who has no end of questions and better ideas. As the stories continue -- and pizza delivery driver Carlo (Chris Redd) gets involved -- darker fears and desires start to emerge.
Is It Any Good?
It goes on too long and ends up pretty much where you'd expect, but this playfully scary film is still great fun most of the time, with energetic comedic performances and clever sound and camerawork. Written and directed by Josh Ruben -- who also stars as Fred -- Scare Me feels like it must have originated as a series of improv games, with the wild, springy actors hurling lines and ideas like fastballs. Even in the movie's quiet moments, Ruben plays with horror movie cliches, such as hearing a noise in the basement, opening the door, taking one look, and closing it again without investigating. Cash's arrival ramps things up quite a bit; she's a smart, prickly delight.
But when Redd turns up with the pizza quite a ways into the movie, things start to feel a little too busy -- and a little like showing off. The movie wears out its welcome. Still. Ruben makes the spoken stories wonderfully visual, with shadows, sound effects (both studio-made and mouth-made), characters racing around the cabin, and rhythm-precise cutting, and these tricks go a long way into making things feel more dynamic. Moreover, Scare Me is brave enough to explore male-female power struggles -- specifically, the ways that men can feel threatened by more powerful women -- and to maneuver that into the movie's true terror.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Scare Me's violence. Even though most of it is spoken rather than shown, does the movie still seem violent? How did the violence make you feel? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like being scared?
Are alcohol and drug use glamorized in this movie? Do the characters make them seem cool? Are there consequences for using them? Why does that matter?
Why do we like to tell stories? Why is great storytelling so hard?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 2, 2021
- Cast: Josh Ruben , Aya Cash , Chris Redd
- Director: Josh Ruben
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
- Studio: Shudder
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 104 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate