"Nightbooks" Review: A Hostage with a Heartfelt Message

Platform: Netflix

Release Date: September 15, 2021

Based on the 2018 book of the same name, we meet Alex (Winslow Fegley), a huge fan of horror who writes his own scary stories, who, following an unknown event, leads him to abandon his horror passion. While on his way to burn his original stories, called his Nightbooks, he is lured into a strange room that traps him in the magical house of Natacha (Kristen Ritter), a witch with an unexpected ultimatum: read her a scary story each night or risk death (or worse). While learning to navigate his new hostage situation, he meets Yasmin (Lidya Jewett) who has been trapped for years by the witch. As Alex explores the witches library for inspiration, he uncovers that a former child left clues of a plan for escape within some of the books. As they attempt their escape, they learn the true depths of Natacha's story and the secret she keeps, which requires Alex to reveal the turmoil that led him to give up his passions in the first place.

This is a movie that is set to pleasantly surprise with its quality and greater sense of maturity than most would expect. This is a movie about creativity, both in its plot elements and in style. The design of the movie captures the child-like appeal and imagination, especially in some of the house's more unique dwellings. The library carries almost a Hogwarts sense of magic with its nearly never-ending ascent and its collection of storybooks. For an even greater "Harry Potter" connection, the conclusion to the former child who left the clues for escaping in the books pulls a "Half-Blood Prince" in revealing who the writer was. The nightmare suite, the mystical garden of the house, is complete with a neon, glow in the dark color scheme, and a creepy crawler scene that maintains a PG innocence. Most notable, though, is that Natacha's (who Kristen Ritter so naturally portrayed) wardrobe frequently includes a pop of color and six-inch high, colored platform shoes, none of which will instill much fear in anyone. Neither does her blue hair, all elements of a fun Halloween witch as opposed to something meant to induce fear. Of course, the costuming was not always a complete hit, such as Alex's glasses clearly having no lenses in them.

Written for a younger crowd, you would think the story in this movie would be kept pretty simple, and for the most part, it is. Alex explores the depths of the house's uniqueness while struggling with accepting who he is based on his interests, which the actor performed adequately for this type of movie. Being open to imagination and creativity, which a lot of times we associate with being younger, are concepts Alex is trying to shut off because of bullying and social isolation he had been experiencing. Yasmin, having been kidnapped for years has seen many kids come and go, leading to difficulties with trust and vulnerability. These are not just heavier themes, but very relevant ones for the present time. As we get older, the expectations for imagination and creativity do not just dissipate, they are almost resented by adults. This is a movie about fostering one's creativity and being proud of your unique interests, which is not just a phase of life, but an ongoing process. Both the plot and style tow either side of the line towards the younger or older crowd, expanding its appeal to more of the general audience.

The most surprising part of this movie was the genuinely creepy and scary sequences it implements, especially in the final act. Alex and Yasmin discover that Natacha is not a witch, but is stealing the magic from a candy witch that originally held her hostage (the witch featured in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale). To keep that original witch subdued, Natacha kidnaps child storytellers because scary stories keep the witch trapped in her slumber. The final act sees Alex awaken the witch, who pursues Alex and Yasmin back into the real world with a chase sequence that was had terrifying elements far surpassing my expectations as a horror fan. This felt like a Sam Raimi horror film at times, with a blend of horror and humor that helped dilute some of the scary moments. For example, the aforementioned chase scene was mixed with silly sequences of the witch barfing and being attacked by a cat.

The moral of this story is that "normal" will not always fit your life, or save you from hungry witches, and this is not a normal children's movie. While it is billed as one for families and children, I would set the cut-off at older tweens as there are some pretty creepy sequences and some plot points that require deeper connections than the typical PG/all ages movie. Even with a heavier sway towards an older crowd, I think the film keeps enough of the story grounded in simple dialogue and semi-threatning visuals that it remains an easy watch. There are some stretches in the plots twists and reveals and may require some explaining to younger kids watching, though they honestly may not pay enough attention to those aspects of the plot to get confused. Whether you save this for an October/Halloween viewing or dive in now, this will prove to be one of Netflix's better original movies this year.

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RATING: 📖 📖 📖 📖 / 5

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