Nightbooks

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2:23

Nightbooks

2021

Fantasy

Horror

Kids & Family

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Alex (Winslow Fegley) is a creative boy with a strong passion for writing scary stories. But when he's labeled weird and rejected for what he likes, he swears he'll never write again. That's when an evil witch (Krysten Ritter), captures him in her magical apartment in New York City and demands that he tell her a new tale every night if he wants to stay alive. Trapped inside with Lenore, the witch's spiteful cat watching his every move, Alex meets Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), another young prisoner who has learned how to survive the witch's wicked whims. With Yasmin's help, Alex must learn to embrace what makes him unique -- his love for scary stories -- and rewrite his own destiny to break them free.

Critics Consensus

Its contents may be a bit busy and overly familiar, but Nightbooks offers a fun -- and actually fairly scary -- gateway to horror for younger viewers.

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Meagan Navarro

Bloody Disgusting

Sep 16, 2021

3/5

Nightbooks takes a while to warm up, but the back half brings the gateway horror fun. It's for the young and the young at heart, wrapping a very familiar tale in creative horror-fantasy packaging.

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Natalia Winkelman

New York Times

Sep 16, 2021

Yarovesky has a knack for tricks of light - shadows, neon night vision and motion cast in silhouette - and the movie is at its most deliciously chilling when it favors visual flair over jump scares.

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Scott Tobias

Variety

Sep 15, 2021

Its whimsical touches, along with a reverence for creative young minds, gives the film a warmth that counterbalances its shocks.

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Shannon Connellan

Mashable

Jul 28, 2023

'Nightbooks', being a film about writing scary stories, pays notable respect to their long history and the core of what makes a good one.

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Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

Jul 26, 2023

Didn’t know what I’d get from this one but I got a delightful, horror filled, family movie that reminded me of Goosebumps & Are you afraid of the dark.

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Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

Oct 29, 2021

Krysten Ritter is perfectly cast (and outfitted by costume designer Peter P. Nicolakakos) in this fun and entertaining gateway horror film. While the book may be better, I'd happily watch a sequel in a heartbeat

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Shauna J

@RT81927136 Oct 5, 2026

Fun but with some super spooky moments

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Koi P

@hopepink Jul 24, 2026

Fun and entertaining movie.

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 15, 2026

The idea of mixing dark fairy tales with creative writing had potential, but the film sabotages itself with a sluggish pace, weak visual effects, and unfunny childish jokes.

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Blue T

@NK2011 May 30, 2026

It's Saturday and my mom picked out this movie. I have to say at first, I thought this movie was going to be another lame Netflix horror-for-kids movie. But no, the movie was actually pretty good and the ending was pleasant. I never expected myself to feel touched by the movie but I did.

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Carlos M

@CarlosMZ Aug 12, 2025

Es de las mejores peliculas de fantasia-suspenso que he visto sinceramente no hagan caso a las malas reseñas denle una oportunidad

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Amber B

@sailormoonknight May 10, 2025

Perfect if you like fun, dark fantasy. Loved seeing Ritter in this role! This movie lived up to what I wanted it to be.

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David Yarovesky

Director

Winslow Fegley

Alex

Lidya Jewett

Yasmin

Krysten Ritter

Natacha

Mikki Daughtry

Screenwriter

Tobias Iaconis

Screenwriter

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Nightbooks: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Alex (Winslow Fegley) is a creative boy with a strong passion for writing scary stories. But when he's labeled weird and rejected for what he likes, he swears he'll never write again. That's when an evil witch (Krysten Ritter), captures him in her magical apartment in New York City and demands that he tell her a new tale every night if he wants to stay alive. Trapped inside with Lenore, the witch's spiteful cat watching his every move, Alex meets Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), another young prisoner who has learned how to survive the witch's wicked whims. With Yasmin's help, Alex must learn to embrace what makes him unique -- his love for scary stories -- and rewrite his own destiny to break them free.

Director: David Yarovesky
Producer: Sam Raimi, Romel Adam, Mason Novick, Michelle Knudsen
Screenwriter: Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Kids & Family
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2021

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