Parents' Guide to We Summon the Darkness

With an appealing cast, solid production values, and a horror script that's both ridiculous and ridiculously fun, this is a slasher film that knows what it is and who will be watching. (In other words, plan the sleepover now.) Teens like scary movies: They like the togetherness of clutching each other, sharing the fear, making fun of what's happening on screen, and feeling smarter than the characters -- as well as the relief that comes with having "survived" the experience. And We Summon the Darkness hits all those beats. Case in point: The blood that gushes out of wounds isn't realistic as much as it is designed to get a vocal reaction from a group of viewers. Tonally, this movie isn't a comedic spoof like Scream Queens, but it's got a half-joking, half-serious attitude (casting Johnny Knoxville as a holy-roller pastor is all you need to know).

Parents may have a harder time with this film than their kids, mainly because it doesn't exactly nail the '80s setting. It does get a few things right: crimped hair (although Daddario's is much tamer than the tresses of a true '80s rocker chick), stoner vans, and the word "space cadet." But that's about it. The movie more accurately reflects what today's teens think the '80s were like. What's particularly clever is that We Summon the Darkness turns some slasher film expectations upside down and delivers a message that's right on for contemporary teens. In our moment of "fake news" skepticism, it drives home the idea that teens should think critically and independently -- and, just like kids in the '80s knew, don't trust "the man."