31 Days of Halloween: Scare Me

 2020, Josh Ruben (Adam Ruins Everything) -- download

Don't they say that any movie that is written by, directed by, and starring the same person is to be avoided? If they don't say it, then its something that horror movies that meta discuss how horror movies are made, would say. Maybe even this movie said it, but I don't recall exactly.

I guess that should be one of the tropes of this year's reviews -- the eventual loss of what I was watching, because it is becoming one giant blur. Not because we are trying to watch a movie every night, but more because 2020 has been one long, giant binge in front of the TV. When I am not at work, and not sleeping, we are likely in front of the TV. What else is there to do? Where else is there to go? Don't answer that.

Fred (Josh Ruben; see above) is renting a cabin the woods so he can get some writing done. After a brief encounter with the most annoying Uber driver in the world, he sits down to do what every struggling writer does -- stare at the empty space on his laptop screen. That goes no where so he goes jogging (not really; he's not good at that either) and runs into Fanny (Aya Cash, The Boys) who turns out to be another writer renting a cabin, doing some writing, with the painful difference in that she has already written a best-selling horror novel.

Back in the cabin, the power goes out as Fred attempts to recharge his laptop, and in the darkness Fanny shows up. She's loud, brash, arrogant, full of herself and utterly dismissive of Fred. She's an asshole, basically, but instead of kicking her to the snowy curb, he gives into her desire to spend the night telling each other scary stories.

This is where the movie shines, as the two talk out their stories, and the movie meta adds in details, via familiar horror tropes like lighting or sound or shadows, even a creepy werewolf claw. Its terrible fun (in the good sense!) and Fanny eventually softens, as the two get into their own stories, doing voices and acting out the bits. But always there is the hint of Fred's insecurity & anger and Fanny's arrogance & superiority. But it is also very clear, Fred may love horror but he is not a good writer, not even a truly passionate one, and Fanny is smart, intelligent and passionate about her subject matter, and the desire to elevate it.

The third act introduces a fanboy for Fanny, a pizza guy (Chris Redd, Saturday Night Live) who joins in on the fun, taking part in the merriment as he lets the rest of his deliveries go cold. That's where things get chilling, as you can see Fred being excluded, and that's where the movie starts hinting at a conclusion to this story. And that conclusion entirely lost Marmy, as it strayed away from the fantastical fun making, and into real, true-to-life horror.

**spoilers**

Fred's insecurity was already on his sleeve, but as long as he was someone's focus, he seemed stable enough. When Carlo the pizza guy seemingly stole his spotlight, the werewolf inside him emerged. This was incel level misogyny. Skillfully told, the tale turns entirely from comedic fun, to chilling. Fred doesn't kill her, but even the threat of it was gut wrenching.

Aya Cash, who already rankled me as the white supremacist "super hero" in The Boys is on point as Fanny. She's mean, but funny, smart with biting wit. Once she warms to Fred's schoolboy take on horror, she actually improves upon his ideas. That actually proves to be her undoing, at least in the eyes of Fred, as she takes notes from their gameplay, obviously hoping to apply them to her next success. I really liked what this movie made me feel, even if it didn't always keep my attention.