Nightbooks stars Winslow Fegley as Alex, a young boy who’s obsessed with scary stories, particularly writing them. When he’s trapped in an ever moving magical apartment by an evil witch Natasha (played by Krysten Ritter), he’s forced to write a new scary story every night to appease her and avoid the fate of her previous captives.
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One thing that definitely stood out to me was Nightbooks solidly built characters paired with great acting from kids so young. Lydia Jewett as Yazmin is a gem and this little powerhouse has a long career ahead of her if she can make the difficult transition from child star to adult actor. The set is colourful and lively and it accurately depicts a child’s mind as well as the fantasy and whimsy of horrors known to them.
The story itself is clearly inspired by Hansel and Gretel but with just enough creativity and diverging subplot to make it something uniquely it’s own. Nightbooks is a fun, upbeat watch for the entire family that’s well paced and entertaining. Unfortunately, it doesn’t expand much past its initial oohs and ahs leaving the overall story lacking in a way that you can’t quite put your finger. You know something is missing from the tale but you’re hard pressed to say what exactly that is. Part of their error for me was in setting up an unnecessary sequel.
Nowadays it seems that films and franchises are determined to get the most out of their material by stretching half a story to give us something that’s not quite finished. In short, I found Nightbooks mildly entertaining but it’s definitely not a standout film, nor was I too bothered with the thought of a potential sequel. Watch ‘Nightbooks’ on Netflix here.
‘Nightbooks’ Rating – 3.25/5
Follow Jennifer (the Author) on Instagram – @islandgirlreview
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