night books movie review

Nightbooks (2021)

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DVD & Streaming
Horror , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

Winslow Fegley as Alex; Lidya Jewett as Yasmin; Krysten Ritter as Natacha

Home Release Date

September 15, 2021
David Yarovesky

Distributor

Movie review.

Alex is obsessed with all things horror. He’s read all the books. He has posters from horror movies hung on his walls. For his birthday, he goes with a haunted house theme. He even dabbles in writing his own scary stories.

But that all changes one night after the kids at school make fun of Alex.

He tears the posters down, rips apart all his horror memorabilia and heads down to the basement of his apartment building to burn his Nightbooks (the notebooks where he writes his terrifying tales) in the boiler room furnace.

Except that Alex never makes it to the basement.

The elevator stops on the wrong floor and won’t budge. Alex gets off to head for the stairs on the other side of the hall. But before he can make it, he’s lured into an open apartment with The Lost Boys (his favorite movie) playing on TV with a slice of pumpkin pie (his favorite dessert) sitting next to it.

Alex walks in, eats the pie and is … trapped .

Turns out the apartment houses an evil witch named Natacha. And if Alex doesn’t want her to kill him, he’ll have to become useful to her.

And it just so happens that this witch enjoys scary stories.

Positive Elements

Alex learns that he isn’t the only child trapped in the witch’s apartment. Yasmin, a young girl who’s good at science, has been trapped there for three years. Like Alex, she’s also a bit of an outcast.

At first, Yasmin tells Alex to take care of himself, and she’ll take care of herself. However, after Alex saves Yasmin’s skin by lying to Natacha and taking the blame for a mistake of Yasmin’s, she warms up to him, eventually working with him to plot an escape.

A cat called Lenore spies on Alex and Yasmin, reporting all their wrongdoing to Natacha. Yasmin loathes Lenore for ratting her out, but Alex takes pity on the cat, realizing that Lenore isn’t just a pet but a prisoner like them. He rescues her from danger and helps fix up some of her wounds, earning Lenore’s loyalty and affection.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Although it’s hinted from the start that Alex was mocked by his classmates for his love of scary things, we eventually learn that he only had one friend, and that friend ditched Alex on his birthday in order to hang out with “cooler” kids. This event caused Alex to hate scary things and even himself . And he vowed to give it all up because he was terrified of being alone.

But Yasmin and Alex eventually realize that it’s OK to be who they are, even if others think they’re weird. In fact, the only reason the “normal” kids mock them, they realize, is because being “ordinary” is boring . And their weirdness isn’t just something to be celebrated, it’s the key to escaping Natacha’s clutches (which is ironic since Natacha actually likes their weirdness).

Characters demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice themselves for their friends. Though Alex and Yasmin both worry that their parents might forget about them, both sets of parents are relieved when their children finally return home.

Spiritual Elements

Natacha gets her powers from a potion that she sprays on herself every evening (and from which we later learn she harvests from another witch). These supernatural powers allow her to transfigure children into whatever she wants—including statues—create potions from magical plants and telekinetically lift the children into the air (not to mention strangle them).

However, these powers also make her eyes look demonic when she uses them, changing the whites to black and making her pupils cloudy. On a few occasions, Alex and Yasmin’s eyes also cloud over when they are mind-controlled (which is what causes Alex to first fall into the witch’s trap and later causes the kids to eat enchanted candy).

The apartment that Natacha lives in seems to have a mind of its own as well. The doors open and close on their own and even disappear when she’s not actively using them. Occasionally the entire place shakes, and a growling sound can be heard.

A never-ending library is magically contained in one of the apartment’s rooms. When Alex climbs out a window to escape, he is transported through a portal that places him right back where he started. Natacha eventually tells the children that it was the apartment , not the witch herself, which lured them in.

[ Spoiler Warning ] We later learn the witch Natacha is harvesting powers from is responsible for the apartment. Natacha keeps the witch imprisoned and under an enchanted sleep by reading scary stories—which act as lullabies—to her.

Lenore the cat has the ability to turn invisible and communicate telepathically with Natacha. Yasmin accidentally breeds a creature called a Shredder, which is like a spider with knives for legs and a demonic mouth filled with teeth that lives to kill and destroy. We see a demonic unicorn that Natacha created.

Some of Alex’s stories are played out on screen like a stage play, and we see ghost children with white eyes and a sorcerer fighting a demonic beast. We also hear about possessed teddy bears. Scenes from The Lost Boys play on a TV, depicting vampires.

Sexual Content

Violent content.

Natacha threatens the children with death, using her magic to choke them several times. That said, Yasmin points out that they’d be lucky if Natacha killed them, since her real cruelty is transforming the children into living figurines to stand on her shelf ’til the end of time.

Two witches fight each other, and one is crushed beneath a falling wall (though we later learn she survived).

We learn that one witch eats children rather than imprisoning them. (And we see the skulls of these children used as decorations.) [ Spoiler Warning ] Yasmin and Alex kill this witch by trapping her in a furnace and letting her burn alive.

When Yasmin accidentally breeds several Shredders, the children stomp on the eggs before they can hatch. However, two of the creatures escape and cut the kids up badly before they are also eventually squashed.

Many of Alex’s stories involve death, and one talks about a roller coaster of doom that kills everyone. Alex wishes he could turn the witch into a centipede so he could rip her legs off one by one. He also states a desire for the ceiling to collapse and put him out of his misery.

Crude or Profane Language

There are singular uses of “d–n” and “h—.” God’s name is abused 14 times. We hear the terms “crap” and “sucks.” And Yasmin and Alex are cruelly called “Try Hard” and “Creepshow” by their classmates.

Drug and Alcohol Content

A sleep draught renders someone unconscious. Yasmin creates a salve that instantly heals wounds.

Other Negative Elements

There are multiple jump scares and suspenseful moments in this film that fall right in line with most other horror flicks—dark corridors, flickering lights, silhouetted figures in the background of shots, etc. We see horror-themed décor in Alex’s home and the witch’s apartment. And one of the witches that the children encounter is stereotypically creepy with bones that bend and snap, a hooked nose, wispy hair and warts.

Alex is forced to give his stories unhappy endings. However, even before he revises them, they are frightening tales of loss, suffering, death and sadness. We learn that one girl who managed to escape the apartment eventually came back when she realized her family had moved on without her.

A cat defecates on Alex’s sandwich. A witch vomits candy onto Yasmin and Alex.

Hidden behind this scary story is a bunch of other scary stories. Altogether, they make for a frightening experience that will keep most kids (though probably not most adults) awake at night.

Alex’s Nightbooks contain some really dark material, especially for a kid . He writes about demonic ghosts, evil sorcerers and death. (In one story, a boy almost dies searching for his dead best friend, who is now a ghost, because he misses her so much.) And even some of the things he says out loud can be pretty sadistic. Which is probably why his parents worry they may have let his obsession go too far when he’s ostracized on his birthday. (I mean, come on, they let the kid watch The Lost Boys , an R-rated film.)

But hidden behind all those frightening tales is a surprisingly deep message about how hard it is to be “different.”

When you’re the only kid in school who loves something—whether it be science or math or fantasy novels or maybe even Jesus —it can be really hard to not give it up to gain others’ acceptance.

Is Alex’s passion for all things that go bump in the night healthy? Maybe not for a kid his age. (And maybe not for anyone.) But it’s not so much about what his fandom is but rather his desire to throw it all away (quite literally in his case) just so he won’t be alone .

However, even with a strong message about how Alex and Yasmin’s weirdness is actually what makes them unique , the film still has more problems than most families will want to tackle. Alex curses more than once (and God’s name is abused a number of times, as well). The witches, scary stories and supernatural abnormalities happening here are pretty dark—especially since one witch eats kids, à la Hansel and Gretel.

Nightbooks is intended as a kid-friendly horror flick. It certainly succeeds at the “horror” part. The “kid-friendly” part? not so much.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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Where to Watch

Watch Nightbooks with a subscription on Netflix.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

David Yarovesky

Krysten Ritter

Winslow Fegley

Lidya Jewett

Khiyla Aynne

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‘Nightbooks’ Review: A Pint-Sized Horror Scribe Writes for His Life

By Scott Tobias

Scott Tobias

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Save for a small handful of recent films like “The House with the Clock in Its Walls” or the “Goosebumps” movies — nearly all with Jack Black as comic relief — chillers for children are an uncommon and somewhat dicey proposition. For horror filmmakers even interested in trying, they have to hit an exceedingly narrow target, offering enough scares and intensity to delight intrepid tweens without sending them diving under their parents’ comforters with nightmares. Based on J.A. White’s novel, “Nightbooks” will certainly push its audience to the limit with its unrelenting fusillade of jump scares, black magic and campfire stories, but its whimsical touches, along with a reverence for creative young minds, gives the film a warmth that counterbalances its shocks.

Co-produced by Sam Raimi through his Ghost House Pictures shingle, “Nightbooks” often feels like a kid-friendly version of Raimi’s “The Evil Dead II,” with its haunted locale, its magical books flush with ancient specters and even an enchanted forest sequence that deploys his deranged POV camera technique. Though the film could use a Bruce Campbell type to add some slapstick fun, it does get a boost from Krysten Ritter , whose career playing chaos agents on TV shows “Breaking Bad” and “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23” makes her a natural for a cackling witch who loves putting children through the wringer. She makes being evil look like fun, at least when it’s not exasperating. In that sense, Ritter’s performance channels Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Young Alex (Winslow Fegley) is already in major distress before he even encounters the witch, however. His passion for the horror genre has made him a pariah among his grade-school peers, which leads him to dismantle a bedroom full of posters for movies such as “The Lost Boys” and “The People Under the Stairs,” and to gather his “nightbooks” of self-penned short stories for disposal in the basement furnace of his apartment building. Before he can reach the bottom floor, however, the elevator opens up on a dimly lit hallway, where he’s drawn toward an open door tempting him, like “Hansel and Gretel,” to irresistible treats — in this case, an old horror movie on TV and a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Popular on Variety

Having fallen into this supernatural trap, Alex is offered a chance to stay alive if he writes a new story for Ritter’s witch every night that meets with her approval. In the meantime, he befriends another prisoner, Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), who’s been under the witch’s thumb for a long time and can help him navigate an apartment full of macabre surprises, like a night garden populated by strange plants and diabolical creatures. He also gains access to a massive library that ignites his imagination while offering clues toward a secret pathway to freedom. He just needs to keep turning in good stories on deadline to a tough editor — which sounds like a job in journalism, frankly.

Best known for playing the title character in Tom McCarthy’s Disney Plus feature “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made,” Fegley adds a year and a pair of spectacles to a similar brand of preteen precociousness, but “Nightbooks” grounds his character in a more recognizable fear and anxiety. The irony at the film’s center is that the witch provides Alex with a more attentive and appreciative audience for his work than his parents or his peers. Ritter is like Kathy Bates in “Misery”: She wants the stories to go in a specific direction — no happy endings allowed — but no one can say she’s not fully invested in her captive’s writing.

In turning the witch’s apartment into a carnival funhouse, director David Yarovesky (“Brightburn”) and his production designer, Anastasia Masaro, create a varied and borderless array of secret rooms that act as both a spooky prison for Alex and Yazmin and a space of limitless possibility. Younger children may flee from Yarovesky’s aggressive cinematics, but “Nightbooks” was made for the Alexes of the world, who are too young for the vast majority of horror movies, but want to experience those Halloween monsters come to life. For them, this is the ideal gateway into the macabre.

Reviewed on Netflix, Sept. 13, 2021. Rating: TV-PG. Running time: 103 MIN.

Production: A Netflix release and presentation of a Ghost House Pictures, MXN Entertainment Production. Producers: Sam Raimi, Romel Adam, Mason Novick, Michelle Knudson. Executive producers: Rob Tapert, Jeanette Volturno.
Crew: Director: David Yarovesky Screenplay: Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis, based on the book by J.A. White. Camera: Robert McLachlan. Editor: Peter Gvozdas. Music: Michael Abels.
With: Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, Krysten Ritter, Mathieu Bourassa, Jess Brown.

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Nightbooks review – a PG horror that might be too scary for its audience

The review of the Netflix film Nightbooks does not contain major spoilers.

Nightbooks is essentially a fantasy horror for Young People. And it provides exactly what it offers! Based on the 2018 novel of the same name written by J. A. White, Nightbooks features genuine scares for its young audience. It even comes with a story that is interesting enough to keep the adults invested throughout its runtime.

The lead villain Natacha gets played by Krysten Ritter, and she’s great in the role. She has a terrifying vibe, and she’s sure to frighten any children watching at home.

The one problem with Nightbooks is the possibility that it’s too scary for its young audience. It deals with adults themes, and some of the jumps may be just a little too much for young minds to handle. A slightly older audience, i.e. young teenagers, could find the film a lot easier to watch and are not as likely to be as horrified by some of the sequences within Nightbooks .

The story itself is about the bookworm Alex (Winslow Fegley), who gets kidnapped by the witch Natacha and attempts to find a way out after making a friendship with a fellow trapped child Yasmin (Lidya Jewett). Although the plot itself isn’t that scary, the undertones, actions sequences, and CGI effects are what could frighten younger eyes.

Despite the levels of frights, Nightbooks is a very well-made movie. The casting is perfect; there’s a well-written story, and the characters are easy to like (or dislike). With this pretty much being a children’s horror movie, it’s fair game to guess on how it concludes, but even so, it’s a thrill ride. And although Nightbooks does a sound job of concluding the story, a sequel would not be the worst thing!

In a nutshell, Nightbooks is scary, entertaining, and features stellar performances from the cast. None more electrifying than Krysten Ritter.

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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Review: Nightbooks (2021)

Image: ©Netflix

Based on the book of the same name by J. A. White, Nightbooks is a brand-new children’s horror-fantasy from director David Yarovesky. The movie – which lands on Netflix today – stars Krysten Ritter, Winslow Fegley, and Lidya Jewett, and tells the story of a young boy who recounts scary tales to a witch, in order to save his life.

In the movie, Alex is a fan of horror. He loves watching spooky movies and enjoys writing scary stories.

But one night, after falling out of love with his passion, Alex leaves his apartment, enters the elevator, and heads down to the basement to throw away his stories. However, the elevator opens its doors early and Alex gets off on the fourth floor.

Here he finds himself enticed into a magical apartment, which is owned by a witch. The witch tells Alex that his life will be forfeit, unless he can prove useful to her.

Fearful, Alex informs the witch he is good at telling scary stories. This information interests the witch, who agrees to let him live, so long as he presents her with a new story every night.

Unable to leave the apartment, which shifts between time and space, Alex has to come up with new tales of terror to keep the witch entertained. All the while he looks for a way to escape his prison, with the assistance of a fellow captive called Yasmin.

If you’re looking for something to entertain the kids this Halloween, then make sure you add Nightbooks to your ‘watch list’. The movie is imaginative, kooky, and a heck of a lot of fun.

Coming across as a mix of The House with a Clock in its Walls (2018), and all the best Roald Dahl stories you remember from childhood, Nightbooks is a delicious treat of a movie. It is filled with goop, cobwebs, cat poo, and creepy creatures, and if all this doesn’t pique your interest or convince you it’s something your youngsters will love, then nothing will.

The film is essentially a dark fairy-tale about overcoming fears. It is built around two children, trying to move beyond personal issues and insecurities, with a witch popping up from time-to-time to add some menace to the story.

The witch is played by Krysten Ritter, who is excellent as the film’s so-called villain. She has a ball hamming it up as the short-tempered antagonist, taking every opportunity to snap at the children, and bring a degree of macabre to the screen.

At no point does she overstep the mark to become too sinister; she always remains just on the cusp of pantomime. Her performance is playful, yet wicked, and a true highlight.

However, it should be stated that while Ritter is never truly horrifying, and shouldn’t scare anyone, there is a fair bit of darkness in the movie. Towards the end of the picture the film introduces some fairly heavy content, which may prove to be a little too scary for very young audiences.

Netflix have rated Nightbooks a PG, but personally I feel that some of the film’s material really pushes the boundaries of the rating. If you have very young children in your household, then you should definitely check the movie out first, before introducing it to them.

But once you’ve checked out the film (specifically the last 25 minutes), then I’m sure you will find it as thoroughly enjoyable as I did. This is a picture that wants to have fun with its audience, while delivering something spine-chilling, and it knows just how to pull it off, by placing a huge focus on its cast.

As mentioned above, Ritter is great, but so too are Winslow Fegley and Lidya Jewett, who play the two leads, Alex and Yasmin, respectively. These guys have to carry the majority of the movie, and they never faulter.

Had lesser actors been cast in these roles, the movie would have struggled. These guys handle the material well, and it allows the movie to tick along quite nicely, with Ritter dipping in and out to add some support.

As for the rest of the movie, Nightbooks benefits from excellent production design, some great ideas, and strong sound and lighting. There are nods to horror past, including references to The Lost Boys (1987), as well as links to the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

All-in-all there is plenty going on here to keep up the entertainment factor. My only criticism is that given a little more money the film maybe could have pushed itself further, but regardless of this, Nightbooks is good stuff.

Last year, Netflix served up the woeful Hubie Halloween as the streaming service’s original seasonal ‘treat’. That movie was far more trick than treat, and left a bad taste in the mouth.

This year’s offering of Nightbooks is the exact opposite of Hubie Halloween and serves up something far more palatable. It combines all the ingredients that make for a good children’s horror story, and it is one that adults can enjoy too.

Heed my warning about checking it out before introducing it to the kids, but so long as you think they will be fine with the content, then get this one lined up for the spooky season!

Nightbooks Review: A Fun, Yet Dark, Family Horror Movie

Nightbooks is the perfect horror movie for families to enjoy together — but is it too scary for younger kids?

Nightbooks is a terrifyingly intense, but also family friendly, horror movie. It combines a chilling tale with heart to create the must watch movie of Halloween season. The sets, cast, costumes, effects, and story all come together into something truly special. While it might be a bit on the scary side for young kids, Nightbooks is the perfect film to cuddle up with under the blanket as a family, and laugh and jump all the way through.

This movie is based on the book by the same name and dives into the life of Alex (Winslow Fegley), a young boy who loves all things horror. He loves creepy things so much that he writes scary stories himself. However, this has led him to be shunned by his peers, and on one night he is lured into the apartment of a witch Natacha (Krysten Ritter) where he meets Yasmin (Lidya Jewett). Yasmin is has been a prisoner for years, but has survived by being useful.

Something that Alex is able to do as well because she loves scary stories. Each night he is forced to write a new story and read it to her. The two kids begin to plot their escape, and what happens next is absolutely terrifying.

What Works In Nightbooks

There is a lot to love about Nightbooks. Fans of the books are sure to be blown away as the pages they have read over and over come to life on the screen, but those new to the story will also be blown away. While there are only a handful of settings in this movie, each of them are done extremely well. The witch’s apartment looks exactly how you would expect a witch’s apartment to look, it is outdated and filled with cobwebs, and of course has many rooms inside of it.

There is the dusty library that houses numerous books filled with scary stories — this is where Alex spends his time researching and writing his stories. The Night Nursery is where Natacha keeps her plants, which are ingredients for her potions.

This film is directed by David Yarovesky and produced by Sam Raimi, and it very clearly has that Sam Raimi feel. All of his signature cinematic styles are present, and they all come together for something truly horrific. Raimi is one of the best in the industry, especially when it comes to adding in that horror touch. David Yarovesky also has experience with horror and directed Brightburn .

Something that is really cool about Nightbooks is the stories within the story. When Alex tells his tales, the style of the film completely changes. Separating this was a brilliant way to make the stories feel special and to stand out. The costumes, specifically Natacha’s outfits, also bring a lot to the film. They allow the witch to express herself in a punk rock way, and each and every one of them is really freaking cool to look at. Say what you will about her, she is a stylish witch! Ritter is fantastically creepy as Natacha, and truly shines whenever she is on screen.

Both Fegley and Jewett do a great job in the movie, and are talented young actors. All too often a film can be brought down because of the child actors not doing a particularly good job, but these two excel at their roles. They have an on screen chemistry whether they are getting along or not, and it is clear they must have a bonded in real life as well. They are a lot of fun to watch! The story itself is filled with some great life lessons, and even some surprising twists and turns.

However, it is quite a bit creepy — and young ones might get scared. Just keep this all in mind while deciding if Nightbooks is for your family or not.

What Doesn’t Work In Nightbooks

One thing about Nightbooks that should be pointed out is despite it being a horror movie, it is geared towards kids and families. Because of that the plot is a little bit predictable for the adults watching. Most kids will not pick up on all the hints in the writing and direction, but many adults will. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it is common with children’s movies, but just something to be noted.

There are times that some of the horror feels a bit held back, and like it could have gone up a notch and still worked as a family film. That said, there are enough elements in this movie to be fully creepy — but Nightbooks does seem to hold back in some scenes.

Is Nightbooks Too Scary For Kids?

Nightbooks very firmly sits in the horror category, but it is also very clearly made for families to enjoy together. So does that mean it is too scary for the younger kids in the family? The best answer for this is that parents know their children, and what they can and cannot handle. Nightbooks has some jump scares, some very creepy moments, and even some intense horror elements that come into play in the third act.

There is a witch, although she doesn’t look much like one as she is very beautiful and rocks some punk rock clothes. She does spells and yells at the children as well, threatening a fate worse than death more than once.

A few times there are creepy creatures running around, one of which has a face like a skull and can be a bit intense. The scary moments are stepped up quite a bit as the third act plays out, so keep that in mind. Most young ones can get through it with a few moments of closing their eyes, and will be better off for it as they learn the lesson of how it is important to be yourself, and never change for anyone. This film is very similar to the book it is based on, so perhaps check that out first.

Overall Thoughts

Nightbooks is one hundred percent a horror movie, but it walks a thin line in order to fit in the family friendly category as well. There are certainly some intense moments, and more than a few jump scares, but the overall lesson for kids — and adults really — makes this movie a special one. Underneath its terrifying exterior, there is a lot of heart and emotion at the center of Nightbooks.

Most importantly, there is a valuable lesson about never changing yourself for others, and finding friends who like you for you. Always be true to yourself, no matter what.

This message, coupled with the elaborate sets, the gorgeous costuming, and the amazingly talented Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, and Krysten Ritter, make this a can’t miss movie. Nightbooks is setting up to be the best family friendly horror movie of the year — and it is perfect for spooky season!

Elaborate sets and gorgeous costumes, plus a dark story with a good message, make this a must watch family friendly horror movie for spooky season! Krysten Ritter is fabulously evil as the witch!

About Nightbooks

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.

Nightbooks Premieres globally on Netflix on September 15, 2021!

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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Nightbooks’ on Netflix, Creepy Tween Horror Starring Krysten Ritter as a Basic Witch

Where to stream:.

Krysten Ritter

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love & Death' On HBO Max, Where Elizabeth Olsen Portrays Murdering Housewife Candy Montgomery

'love & death' on hbo max review: an excellent elizabeth olsen can’t save this tasteless true crime drama, ‘love and death’ teaser trailer, release date, what we know, 'orphan black' spinoff 'echoes' teases krysten ritter's new clone drama: first look.

The title of Netflix’s Nightbooks has a distinct ring to it — you know, a compound word representing a scarefest based on a YA book, something along the lines of Duskcreeps or Creeptomes or Eeriestories , stuff like that. Hands-down the most shocking fact about this Sam Raimi-produced adaptation of J.A. White’s youth novel is, it’s not a dozen-volume series, but a standalone story about a couple of kids imprisoned by a witch. White has written a couple of different series, so why Netflix chose something with a beginning, middle AND an end to adapt is one of the great mysteries of the universe. I mean, the movie is a paltry 100 minutes of content — where’s the ambition to develop yet another potential franchise with multiple trilogies, prequel series and anime spinoffs? Slackers, all of ’em. Whether or not Nightbooks is worthy of such treatment is beside the point, but I guess that doesn’t stop us from assessing it anyway, as follows.

NIGHTBOOKS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: IT WAS A STORMY NIGHT. IT WAS ALSO A DARK NIGHT. Rain batters an apartment building. Inside one of those apartments, Alex (Winslow Fegley of Timmy Failure fame) is extraordinarily upset. He’s a horror maven who’s surely too young to have seen all the cool gory movies advertised via the scads of posters on his bedroom walls, so there may be questionable parenting happening here. But that’s not why he’s crying. He shoves aside all his Fangoria magazines and grabs all the horror stories he’s written, vowing to burn them. His parents speak in hushed tones in another room as he sneaks out of the apartment to the elevator. He wants to go to the basement but there’s a rumble and a flickering of lights and strange disembodied murmuring and he ends up on the fourth floor, where exists an apartment that seems to exist out of time. He has no choice but to get out here, because the buttons don’t work and the movie also has an agenda to fulfill.

The apartment is full of creepy old dolls and cobwebs and dim lighting. An old console TV flickers and plays The Lost Boys , which is catnip to Alex. Next to it is a slice of pumpkin pie, and he takes a big old bite of it like a total rube. IT’S SO OBVIOUSLY POISON PIE, ALEX. He conks out and wakes up in the presence of a heavily Cruella’d Krysten Ritter, playing Natacha, a mega-goth witch who looks like she burgled the wardrobe of the touring contortionist for Cradle of Filth: Hair by the Queen of the Damned. Makeup by the Bride of Frankenstein. Nails by the Bride of Chucky. Eccentric demeanor by Not Quite Helena Bonham Carter.

Natacha has demands. Alex will tell her a scary story every night or else she’ll kill him. The stories should have no happy endings, only misery, and trust me, she’s a tough critic to impress. She has a hairless cat named Lenore, who spies on him; the cat can turn invisible, but, as we learn in one gruesome scene, its excrement remains wholly visible. She has another kid-slave in Yasmin (Lydia Jewitt), who I think is the housemaid, although from the looks of things, she could really use one of those long-handled dusters. The kids have the run of the apartment, so is Natacha overconfident, or just stupid? Yes! At least the doors are enchanted to prevent escape. Alex holes up to write his forced-labor stories in the library, which stretches with spiral staircases infinitely upward; he pages through some books and finds handwriting in them, which may be the key to his and Yasmin’s escape. But escape can’t be easy, can it? (It can’t.)

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Nightbooks is Goosebumps meets Misery via The Brothers Grimm .

Performance Worth Watching: Fegley is a likeable enough presence even when he’s given a somewhat flimsy character to play — a character who isn’t as compelling as Fegley’s take on the title role in Timmy Failure , which was underrated, a solidly funny kid movie that’s like The Book of Henry , except watchable, and markedly less calamitous.

Memorable Dialogue: “Writers. Always so insecure.” — Natacha perpetuates a stereotype

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: No, Nightbooks is not a Stephen King origin story, although it could be, maybe, if it wasn’t so intentionally aimed at audiences in the double-digit/pre-teen demographic. King surely had more warped stuff happen to him — safe assumption to make, considering he came of age during the Eisenhower administration — than our young scribe protagonist here, who we learn is a social outcast. The kids at school call him Creepshow, which he doesn’t like, although it’s better than being called Tales from the Crypt or Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Point being, maybe he should just lean into it, and that’s the moral of the story: Be yourself, and to hell with the haters. “The thing that makes you weird makes them ordinary,” is Yasmine’s wisdom for Alex, and sure, that’s a perfectly fine message for young audiences to hear, although they shouldn’t wholly emulate the boy, since they’d most likely be better off waiting until they’re at least 15 to watch Dead Alive .

Visually, tonally and aesthetically, the film is acceptably boilerplate medium-light scary fodder with a couple of creative-enough medium-low-budget set pieces, some skittery CGI creatures, a scene in which characters are chased through the woods by the frightful beast known as a Raimi Cam, and earnest work from its pair of young principals. Ritter’s performance is too apathetic to really achieve liftoff; it feels reined in despite opportunities to turn this basic witch into a tasty kook. The sloppyplot story somewhat randomly deviates into literally literary Grimmness for the third act, which, as these types of movies always always (always) go, builds to a noisy and hectic climax. It’s perfectly adequate for kids who find Goosebumps too tame and Fear Street too slashy. Keep your expectations modest, and ye shall be modestly entertained.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Nightbooks is like getting Tootsie Rolls in your trick-or-treat bag: It’s no full-size Snickers bar, but neither is it a fistful of rock-hard Pal bubble gum.

Will you stream or skip the creepy tween horror movie #Nightbooks on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) September 16, 2021

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba .

Stream Nightbooks on Netflix

Stream It Or Skip It

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Nightbooks Movie Review: A Fun and Wicked Treat If You Are Brave Enough

September 18, 2021 By Ashley Leave a Comment

No tricks, only treats with Netflix's latest Nightbooks . It is a fun, delightfully wicked offering that will have young horror fans on the edge of their seats, if they are brave enough to watch.

Nightbooks Movie Review

Based on the book by J. A. White, Nightbooks follows Alex (Winslow Fegley), a horror fan who loves to write scary stories. He is lured into an apartment and then held captive by a witch. No one survives or escapes from this place but before Natacha (Krysten Ritter) ends his life, he proves himself useful. As long as he can come up with original scary stories to read to her every night, he will live. Alex isn't the only kid in this horrifying (yet gorgeous) apartment. Yasmin (Lidya Jewett) has served as Natacha’s cook, housekeeper, gardener, and anything else Natacha has asked of her in order to survive. They team-up and hatch a plan to escape. But things aren't as they seem and what should be a fairly straight forward escape turns into a harrowing encounter that threatens to destroy them.

Nightbooks pulls no punches when it comes to the scares making it a wicked treat for horror fans of all ages. It is not without its heartwarming moments though and they are what helps keep the balance between shock and fun. Make no mistake, Nightbooks aims to be suspenseful and intense, which it delivers throughout the entire almost 2 hour runtime. Mostly thanks to the deliciously evil Ritter and the ever-changing apartment.

RELATED: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Movie Review: MCU Does It Again

Ritter is everything one could want in a modern day wicked witch. She brings sass, eye-rolls, frantic energy, and gothic princess glam to this haunted apartment, resulting in a character you equally love and hate. Because despite her amazing wardrobe and gorgeous hair color, she delights in the idea of killing children who are not useful to her. Although her just being the bad witch of the story would have been enough, director David Yarovesky takes time to give her a backstory that adds significant weight to her character.

Jewitt and Fegley held their own against Ritter's powerhouse performance with equally compelling deliveries. Jewitt's Yasmin starts out standoffish and rough which plays well to Fegley's Alex who is awkward yet sincere. The friendship chemistry between the two actors comes across believable as these two navigate learning to be friends between surviving creatures like the shredders.

Then there is the second greatest character of the entire film, who believe or not has the best character arc in the entire film – Lenore, the cat. Yes, out of everyone and everything happening Lenore manages to pull out a surprise that is unexpected yet perfect for her character. So while the cast is small compared to other gruesome tales, this allows for more complex storylines and time spent delving into the secrets each keeps close to their vests.

Visually, Nightbooks is a colorful, terrifying feast for the eyes. Alex's stories come to life in a pop-up book sort of way. This stage show style interludes up the creepy factor as he desperately tries to please Natacha. Side note, his stories deliver a big emotional moment in the end. Aside from these little storyline side quests, the film primarily is based out of one location, the apartment. Avoiding the staleness that comes with single locations can be tricky to avoid but Yarovesky steps around it like Natacha in her spiked, bedazzled high heels. By making the apartment a living beast in its own right, one able to change and grow to fit the scenario, it makes each set feel fresh and new. The way Nightbooks plays with its lighting is a true treat, especially when electric neon colors are front and center. These differences among the rooms inform the story as much as the writing itself.

Nightbooks may end in a predictable way, this is a horror film aimed at kids, but it still manages to endear the audience to the characters and leave them wanting more. Underneath the scares is the story about a boy who feels like an outcast and is struggling to find acceptance within himself and a girl who needs to learn that it is okay to rely on others and that true friendship is worth fighting (witches) for. The final shot of the film promises there is more to this story and I for one hope there is.

Ultimately, Nightbooks is a rewarding, fun, wicked treat for this spooky movie season. With its dedication to the horror genre it appeals to fans of all ages and is bound to become a seasonal favorite, if you are brave enough to venture into the witch's layer.

Nightbooks is now streaming on Netflix. It is rated TV-PG with a runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes.

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[Movie Review] NIGHTBOOKS

September 17, 2021 September 17, 2021
Sarah Musnicky

Adolescence is chockablock full of life-changing experiences in such a short period of time. Children get to wear many different emotions as they navigate the brutal terrain of friendship, othering, and then some. This allows them to learn more about themselves, but also learn which emotions are good, bad, and what to fear. One of the easiest ways to test the waters when it comes to these experiences is by diving deep into media via TV or film. And, for children, it is all the more essential to have age-appropriate horror to sink deep into as a playground for not only the genre, but to experience emotions and situations they might not have had to encounter yet. With all that said, NIGHTBOOKS is a perfect example of age-appropriate horror done right, creating a relatable tale about loneliness, survival, and the love of horror for both young and more mature viewers alike.

The film follows Alex (Winslow Fegley), a young boy who loves all things scary and, in his spare time, writes scary stories in his Nightbooks. However, after one final incident makes him reject all the things he loves, he runs away from home only to be lured into a concerning apartment just down below. Once lured into this deceptive trap, he is caught by an evil witch ( Krysten Ritter ) inside her magical apartment. She demands that he proves his usefulness to her. Upon learning he is a writer, she demands a story every night. A new take on Scheherazade and One Thousand and One Nights , viewers watch as Alex and Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), another young prisoner, learn how to survive the witch and also find a way to escape from the magical clutches of the apartment that mysteriously shakes and groans when awakened. With the help of Yasmin and the witch’s adorable (most would say creepy) cat Lenore, Alex will learn how to overcome his uncertainty and fear and learn to embrace what makes him unique and special via his writing and scary stories.

NIGHTBOOKS is not what one would call an adorable film for kids. While still child-friendly, with plenty of humor interwoven throughout the script, this film covers pretty significant subject matter that hits at an emotional core that all ages can relate to. These moments unveil themselves during emotionally heightened scenes, which gives the film weight. A coming-of-age tale in its own way, what could have been a film that easily leans too heavily into the silly easily finds itself standing on its own merits. And, to be quite frank, will inspire anyone to go out and hunt down J.A. White’s book of the same name. With the screenplay crafted by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis and the direction provided by David Yarovesky ( Brightburn ), the film’s success is easily acquired through the combined deft handling of the source material they’ve been given to work with from White.

There are a lot of little nuggets of horror goodness for fans interspersed throughout NIGHTBOOKS . Fangoria magazines, The Lost Boys playing in the background (with Cry Little Sister playing on and off in little bursts); these little winks are like little spoonfuls of candy to the modern horror fan. There is also what I find to be a throwback to the silent film form of horror storytelling we get to see when Alex starts to tell his nightly stories. The traditional set set-up of each story and how these particular moments are framed and edited lend itself to that silent film pre-talkie style. Perhaps, I might be getting the reference wrong, but that’s how I interpreted it. And, as to the more horror-based elements featured in the film, you might find yourself asking whether or not it might be too much for kids. However, these moments are still crafted with the PG rating in mind and provide a safe testing ground for whether or not older kids can stomach these particularly thrilling moments when they pop up on the screen.

Circling back to an earlier point made about direction, Yarovesky’s direction shines bright through the performances from his core cast featuring Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, and Krysten Ritter. Angela Demo nails it in the casting decisions made for this film. Winslow Fegley’s performance, in particular, is a standout. He nails the emotional complexities of the lonely, misunderstood Alex. For horror fans everywhere, many of us will see ourselves reflected in Alex and, once we reach a pivotal monologue delivered by Fegley, I can’t imagine there being a dry eye in the house. The emotional buildup alone in that scene solidifies a strong future for him in this industry.

Lidya Jewett’s performance as Yasmin carries a different kind of weight, highlighting how the rejection of attachment ultimately harms more than heals. Both Fegley’s and Jewett’s chemistry are magnetic; their friendship resonating off the screen. Cleo and Trixie, who portray Lenore, are the bestest of cats and deserve all the extra treats for their performance. Krysten Ritter’s emotionally immature, psychopathic Natacha is a cotton candy, witchcore nightmare wrapped in childhood trauma. There’s a sinister edge to her performance that reminds the viewer to not trust her despite her more pleasant exterior. And, once all is revealed, viewers may still be left wondering whether or not much sympathy can be given considering the circumstances of her life’s actions.

One can’t really discuss NIGHTBOOKS without shining a spotlight on the below-the-line crafts so prominently displayed in the film. Knowing that the bulk of the sets and effects featured in the film were practically done makes the practical effects loving creature living in my heart coo with glee. Anastasia Masaro’s production designs shine bright, with the design of the apartment, plant nursery, library and more all standing out with a distinctive character. With Diana Magnus’s and Rocco Mateo’s art direction working in tandem with Peter P. Nicolakakos’s set decoration, it all comes together to create a vivid set that any viewer would want to play around in. Seriously, I may have a love affair with the wallpaper that we see in the apartment. And that library? Ugh! The dream! Autumn Steed’s costume designs help inform and shape the characters we see onscreen. While many will talk about Natacha’s clothing designs, I do think a special focus should be given to Yasmin’s clothes in the film, with her personality reflecting most clearly when she’s deep in the grips of her work.

The Visual Effects team did have their work cut out for them. While I admittedly am not as good at clocking all the VFX in film because a lot of it these days is super subtle, I’ll mostly focus on the creatures in NIGHTBOOKS . When Lenore decides to be a little sneaky sneakster or get into mischief, the work done is mostly natural, but maintains a certain unnaturalness that reminds that this is a kid’s film. Then there’ the dang slicer creatures that have no problem cutting a person…They are sinisterly designed enough that even I wouldn’t deign to go near them. This particular scene featuring those creatures also provides plenty of stunt work and practical goo splooshing on the actors which, if you’re into those practical moments of grossness, you’ll definitely enjoy. There’s so much good quality craftsmanship featured in NIGHTBOOKS that it would probably take me all day to recount how much love and care has been taken into each element. So, seriously, hat’s off to all of you!

Overall, NIGHTBOOKS is a fun and thoughtful kid-friendly fantasy-horror film. I know there are some who reject the notion of needing age-appropriate horror in our community, but without these little nuggets sprinkled about, how else are kiddos supposed to learn to enjoy terror and fear? I know for myself if Disney Channel hadn’t featured Under Wraps or Don’t Look Under The Bed , I most likely wouldn’t have gotten up the courage to venture into The Exorcist in middle school. From these types of films, the seed to love horror can be planted and – with proper nurturing – can sprout into something darkly beautiful. With the care taken into crafting the visual of this film combined with the strong performances from its core cast and the horror elements throughout, this is a must-see for both kids and adults alike.

NIGHTBOOKS is now available globally on Netflix . To learn more about the film, check out our interview with Krysten Ritter !

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Nightbooks Parent Guide

Often scary and occasionally disgusting, this film fails to clear the bar for safe, scary children's entertainment..

Netflix: In this horror movie for kids, a young boy finds himself prisoner in a witch's enchanted apartment. The only way he can stay alive is to tell her a scary story every night.

Release date September 15, 2021

Run Time: 100 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

Alex (Winslow Fegley) is a lonely kid, largely owing to his fascination with horror stories, which he writes in his spare time. When no one turns up to his Halloween themed birthday party, he runs off to the boiler room of the apartment building to burn all of his work – but fate has other ideas. The elevator takes him to an entirely different floor, one he doesn’t quite recognize, with only one open room… and once he’s in, he can’t get out. The apartment belongs to Natacha (Krysten Ritter), a diabolical witch who lures children to their doom. But she has work for Alex: Every night, she wants to hear a different scary story, and she’s read every single one in her colossal library. Now she wants Alex to write new ones for her. Should he fail to produce a new story, she’ll kill him…or worse. But with the help of Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), another child in Natacha’s “employ”, Alex thinks he might have a chance to escape.

This movie’s biggest problem is with tone. Sure, it’s obviously geared at kids around 10 years old. They won’t really care that the writing is schlockier than your grandma’s collection of knickknacks, or that the story is so blandly predictable I had a good idea where things were going about 20 minutes in. Unfortunately, depending on the resilience of your particular 10-year-old, this movie could also scare the pants clean off them. Most of it is your average kiddie horror fare – think amped up Halloween decorations. But there are also serious threats, jump scares, and fairly unsettling violence against children – oh, and one of the characters is burned alive. So that might be a deterrent for most families looking for fun scares.

If you’re raising a strange little horror fanatic, they might just enjoy this, but if you’re not, I’d stick to more child-friendly flicks – advice Alex’s parents clearly didn’t follow, judging by the posters for Candyman and The Thing on his bedroom walls. The movie has some cute little messages about friendship and self-esteem, but frankly, you can find those in movies that don’t feature the invisible rectums of cats. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s always an upgrade.

About author

Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for nightbooks.

Nightbooks Rating & Content Info

Why is Nightbooks rated TV-PG? Nightbooks is rated TV-PG by the MPAA

Violence: Kids are attacked by bugs and cats, resulting in visible injuries, and are also threatened with death. Off-screen, children are killed and eaten. A character is crushed by a collapsing wall. One person is pushed into a fire and burned alive. Sexual Content: None. Profanity: There are infrequent mild curses and terms of deity. Alcohol / Drug Use: None.

Page last updated February 24, 2022

Nightbooks Parents' Guide

Why does Alex have such a hard time at his party? What could his parents have done differently? What does this say about his friends? What do his experiences with the witch change for Alex? What are some negative changes you might expect from those experiences? Why is Yasmin so cold towards him when they meet? What changes her mind?

Will Nightbooks 2 Happen?

Parents, Nightbooks might not be for children of all ages, but if your family loved this Netflix horror movie, here's what we know about a potential sequel.

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You’ve just watched Nightbooks with your family, and depending on how your kids reacted to this frightening children’s horror movie, you’ve either been left wanting more or are wondering if you’ve traumatized your little ones for good. Indeed, the latest Netflix chiller from director David Yarovesky ( Brightburn ), based on the children’s book by J.A. White, is genuinely scary in a way that might take you back to your days of watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? or Goosebumps as a kid.

While the movie is ostensibly about two kids stuck in a fairy tale being spun by a cruel witch (played with relish by Krysten Ritter), Nightbooks cuts much deeper than that, delivering some truly bone-chilling set pieces as protagonists Alex (Winslow Fegley) and Yazmin (Lidya Jewett) try to escape their terrifying surroundings (and a very mean cat). Tackling themes of child abuse, bullying, and identity, Nightbooks might be best for tweens about to turn the page to their teen years, although every kid is different, of course.

But if you and your kids loved this movie — and you should because it’s quite good — you might be wondering if there are more Nightbooks movies in the pipeline at Netflix. While the final shot of the movie does leave the door open for another visit to Natacha’s haunted apartment, the streamer has yet to officially announce that a sequel is in the works. Ultimately, that will all depend on how many people sit down to stream the movie in the next few weeks.

That said, Yarovesky is up for making a sequel.

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“The author of the book, like baked into the book an allusion to more coming. Who knows?” Yarovesky told Decider . “Who knows what the future holds? But I think that there’s a lot more story in this universe, and I think that this story could be the start of so much more… I love this universe. I love the characters. If I was lucky enough to be able to make more of these, I would of course happily make more of them.”

So, as Alex and Yazmin learned in the movie, never lose hope.

Yarovesky also addressed the horror in the movie, describing how he and Netflix approached balancing the scares with the age group they were intended for. The director said that Netflix did a lot of market research, which revealed in part the “mental health benefits of kids seeing horror.” According to Yarovesky, horror provides kids with “a way to confront your fears in a safe environment.” But he also acknowledged that not all kids will be ready for the frights in Nightbooks and that he felt the movie was told in a way that children can stop watching if they get too scared and then return to it when they feel they’re more ready.

“If you notice, the movie is built like a ramp. They’re calling it ‘gateway horror,'” Yarovesky explained. “We made this ramp and we’re slowly turning the knob, making it scarier and scarier. When it gets too scary, just stop there. Stop there, go do something else, watch a comedy, chill out, come back to it in a year or six months or tomorrow when you feel strong, whatever. By the end, it’s balls-to-the-wall horror, but in a totally safe way. Like you do a big horror gag, but it’s candy and not anything actually violent. It’s trying to recreate that experience of taking the whole family to a haunted hayride, and holding each other and covering each other’s eyes and being afraid together, and making it through together.”

Nightbooks is streaming on Netflix now.

John Saavedra | @johnsjr9

John Saavedra is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Den of Geek. He lives in New York City with his two cats.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Unforgettable memoir of teen who survived the Holocaust.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Night is one of the few books that recounts the ex

Strong message about the power of memory and human

Wiesel and his father cared for and supported each

The violence is terrifying, random, and sadistic.

Educational Value

Night is one of the few books that recounts the experiences of teens during the Holocaust. Wiesel's memoir offers a detailed and harrowing account of day to day life in Auschwitz and Buchenwald -- the starvation rations prisoners were fed, the freezing barracks in which they slept, the days spent as slave laborers, and the constant brutality of the guards and even fellow prisoners.

Positive Messages

Strong message about the power of memory and human resilience. Because of books like Night, the story of the Holocaust will never be forgotten.

Positive Role Models

Wiesel and his father cared for and supported each other through the most unimaginable circumstances.

Violence & Scariness

The violence is terrifying, random, and sadistic. Wiesel witnesses guards throwing children into a fire and a young boy being hung. People are shot and beaten to death for no reason. A son kills his father for a piece of bread. Wiesel is lashed 25 times by a guard. The fires burn day and night at the ovens.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the late Elie Wiesel's Night is one of the most widely read and accaimed Holocaust memoirs. Wiesel was 15 when he, his three sisters, and his parents were sent to Auschwitz. In spare prose, Wiesel recounts the unimaginable horrors of life in Auschwitz and Buchenwald and the loss of his deeply held religious faith. "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed.” While Night is assigned reading in middle and high schools around the world, parents should be aware that the violence and brutality in the book are shocking and often unceasing. For speaking out against injustice, violence, and repression, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

Parents say (9)
Kids say (35)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Parents should read this with their children: violence, sexual references, and heavy topics

Not for kids. more disturbing, detailed, graphically violent that other holocaust stories. sexual abuse of minors, nudity, sexual references. you will likely lose innocence and sleep., what's the story.

As NIGHT begins, Wiesel is living with his family in Sighet, a town which was then part of Hungary. Deeply religious, he spends his mornings studying the Talmud and his evenings in the local synagogue. For most of Sighet, the war seems far away and there is confidence that the Russian Army will arrive before the town falls to the Nazis. But in the spring of 1944, the Germans arrive and the entire Jewish population is soon loaded onto the cattle cars that will transport them to Nazi death camps. After they arrive at Auschwitz, Wiesel and his father are separated from his mother and sisters but manage to remain together during the nightmare months that follow. As the Russians approach Auschwitz, the prisoners are forced on a deadly march through winter snows before being taken by train to Buchenwald. It is there that Wiesel's father dies, in circumstances that will forever haunt him.

Is It Any Good?

Harrowing, heartbreaking, and brutal, this unforgettable memoir of a teenage survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald is essential reading for anyone studying the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel tells his story in a voice that is quiet and spare. Only the most essential words are needed to describe the horrors he witnessed. Wiesel has stated that Night begins where Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl ends. For teens whose knowledge of the Holocaust goes no further than the young Dutch girl who wrote, "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart," Night may be hard to process emotionally. For all readers, it could help begin difficult discussions about the nature of good and evil in the world.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk how books like Night help us to better understand history. What can you learn about this period in history from a personal memoir that you can't learn from a textbook?

Have you watched any movies or TV shows about the Holocaust? How accurately do you think they portrayed what is was like to be a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp?

Author Elie Wiesel and his family had a chance to escape before being transported to Auschwitz. Why do you think they decided against it? What would you and your family have done?

Book Details

Author : Elie Wiesel
Genre : Autobiography
Topics : Great Boy Role Models , History
Book type : Non-Fiction
Publisher : Hill and Wang
Publication date : January 1, 1956
Number of pages : 120
Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated : September 28, 2021

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9 New Books We Recommend This Week

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Parenting and its attendant anxieties underlie a number of our recommended books this week, from Jonathan Haidt’s manifesto against technology in the hands of children to Emily Raboteau’s essays about mothering in an age of apocalypse to Clare Beams’s novel about a haunted hospital for expectant mothers.

Also up: a double biography of the Enlightenment-era scientists and bitter rivals who undertook to catalog all of life on Earth, a book arguing that the ancient Greeks’ style of debate holds valuable lessons for the present, and a surprising history of America before the Civil War that shows how German philosophers helped shape abolitionist thinking. In fiction, we recommend an Irish novel about a bungled kidnapping, a political novel based on Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign and a three-part novel of ideas about the hidden costs of our choices. (That one also deals with parenting anxieties, in its way.) Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

EVERY LIVING THING: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life Jason Roberts

Most of us have heard of the 18th-century taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and his systems of categorization; less familiar is his rival, the French mathematician and naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. In Roberts’s view, this is an injustice with continued repercussions for Western views of race. His vivid double biography is a passionate corrective.

“Roberts stands openly on the side of Buffon, rather than his ‘profoundly prejudiced’ rival. He’s frustrated that human society and its scientific enterprise ignored the better ideas — and the better man.”

From Deborah Blum’s review

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THE ANXIOUS GENERATION: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Jonathan Haidt

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“Erudite, engaging, combative, crusading. … Parents, he argues, should become more like gardeners (to use Alison Gopnik’s formulation) who cultivate conditions for children to independently grow and flourish.”

From Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s review

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AN EMANCIPATION OF THE MIND: Radical Philosophy, the War Over Slavery, and the Refounding of America Matthew Stewart

In this absorbing intellectual history of the lead up to the Civil War, Stewart shows how German philosophers like Ludwig Feuerbach and Karl Marx influenced the American abolition movement.

“Engaging and often surprising. … Two decades before the outbreak of war, abolitionism was still a skulking pariah, a despised minority in the North as well as the South. The abolitionists clearly needed help. Enter the Germans.”

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CHOICE Neel Mukherjee

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COMMENTS

Nightbooks
Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Gustavo R This is a modern day Hansel and Gretel with a sprinkle of 1000 Arabian night where the nights are scary stories. I was ...
Nightbooks (2021)
Nightbooks: Directed by David Yarovesky. With Winslow Fegley, Jess Brown, Mathieu Bourassa, Krysten Ritter. Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is imprisoned by an evil young witch in her contemporary New York City apartment.
Nightbooks Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 11 ): Kids say ( 19 ): Modern-day characters are plopped into a world of classic fairy tales and fantasy-horror movie images in this inventive tale that could've been better scaled back.
'Nightbooks' Review: A Fairy Tale Horror Fit for Kids
In the children's horror movie "Nightbooks," a preteen boy is held hostage by a malevolent witch. Alex (Winslow Fegley) is a bright kid whose passion lies in writing scary stories. At the ...
Nightbooks (2021)
The storyline told in "Nightbooks" was interesting and actually rather captivating as well. The story starts out quite nicely and keeps a great pace all throughout the course of the movie. The narrative is rather well-written and provides excellent entertainment. The acting performances in "Nightbooks" were good.
Nightbooks
Movie Review. Alex is obsessed with all things horror. He's read all the books. He has posters from horror movies hung on his walls. For his birthday, he goes with a haunted house theme. He even dabbles in writing his own scary stories. But that all changes one night after the kids at school make fun of Alex.
Nightbooks Review
Based on the book by J. A. White and produced by Sam Raimi's Ghost House ( Don't Breathe, The Grudge ), Nightbooks does its best to evoke quality grim children's fare, trying to find that sweet ...
Nightbooks
Rated: 1.5/4 • Jan 2, 2023. In Theaters At Home TV Shows. Advertise With Us. Scary story fan Alex must tell a spine-tingling tale every night, or stay trapped with his new friend in a wicked ...
'Nightbooks' Review: A Pint-Sized Horror Scribe Writes ...
Krysten Ritter. 'Nightbooks' Review: A Pint-Sized Horror Scribe Writes for His Life. Reviewed on Netflix, Sept. 13, 2021. Rating: TV-PG. Running time: 103 MIN. Production: A Netflix release ...
Nightbooks review
Nightbooks is essentially a fantasy horror for Young People. And it provides exactly what it offers! Based on the 2018 novel of the same name written by J. A. White, Nightbooks features genuine scares for its young audience. It even comes with a story that is interesting enough to keep the adults invested throughout its runtime.
Nightbooks
Nightbooks - Metacritic. Summary When Alex (Winslow Fegley), a boy obsessed with scary stories, is trapped by an evil witch (Krysten Ritter) in her magical apartment, and must tell a scary story every night to stay alive, he teams up with another prisoner, Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), to find a way to escape. Family.
Nightbooks
Nightbooks is a 2021 American dark fantasy film directed by David Yarovesky and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis.It is based on the 2018 horror-fantasy children's book of the same name by J. A. White. The film stars Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, and Krysten Ritter.. Nightbooks was released on September 15, 2021, by Netflix.
Review: Nightbooks (2021)
By Alex Wiggan. Based on the book of the same name by J. A. White, Nightbooks is a brand-new children's horror-fantasy from director David Yarovesky. The movie - which lands on Netflix today - stars Krysten Ritter, Winslow Fegley, and Lidya Jewett, and tells the story of a young boy who recounts scary tales to a witch, in order to save ...
Nightbooks Review: A Fun, Yet Dark, Family Horror Movie
Overall Thoughts. Nightbooks is one hundred percent a horror movie, but it walks a thin line in order to fit in the family friendly category as well. There are certainly some intense moments, and more than a few jump scares, but the overall lesson for kids — and adults really — makes this movie a special one. Underneath its terrifying ...
'Nightbooks' Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It?
Hands-down the most shocking fact about this Sam Raimi-produced adaptation of J.A. White's youth novel is, it's not a dozen-volume series, but a standalone story about a couple of kids ...
Nightbooks Review: A Kids Movie That's Too Scary?
Nightbooks doesn't waste time throwing its protagonist, kid writer Alex (Winslow Fegley, in giant spectacles), into a scary situation. The movie begins with Alex in distress, driven from the ...
Nightbooks Movie Review: A Fun and Wicked Treat If You Are Brave Enough
Nightbooks Movie Review. Based on the book by J. A. White, Nightbooks follows Alex (Winslow Fegley), a horror fan who loves to write scary stories. He is lured into an apartment and then held captive by a witch. No one survives or escapes from this place but before Natacha (Krysten Ritter) ends his life, he proves himself useful.
[Movie Review] NIGHTBOOKS
With all that said, NIGHTBOOKS is a perfect example of age-appropriate horror done right, creating a relatable tale about loneliness, survival, and the love of horror for both young and more mature viewers alike. The film follows Alex (Winslow Fegley), a young boy who loves all things scary and, in his spare time, writes scary stories in his ...
Parent reviews for Nightbooks
Show more. Helpful. Kilasco Parent of 6 and 8-year-old. October 6, 2022. age 8+. Very engaging story and it was well done. There is some light cursing from the children that might be a problem for some parents. The movie does have some visually frightful elements as well, so you really just need to know your kid.
Nightbooks Movie Review for Parents
Nightbooks Rating & Content Info . Why is Nightbooks rated TV-PG? Nightbooks is rated TV-PG by the MPAA . Violence: Kids are attacked by bugs and cats, resulting in visible injuries, and are also threatened with death. Off-screen, children are killed and eaten. A character is crushed by a collapsing wall. One person is pushed into a fire and burned alive.
Will Nightbooks 2 Happen?
While the final shot of the movie does leave the door open for another visit to Natacha's haunted apartment, the streamer has yet to officially announce that a sequel is in the works. Ultimately ...
Night Book Review
Night is one of the few books that recounts the experiences of teens during the Holocaust. Wiesel's memoir offers a detailed and harrowing account of day to day life in Auschwitz and Buchenwald -- the starvation rations prisoners were fed, the freezing barracks in which they slept, the days spent as slave laborers, and the constant brutality of the guards and even fellow prisoners.
Late Night With the Devil Sets Streaming Record for Shudder
Per press release, "Shudder, AMC Networks' premium streaming service for horror, thrillers, and the supernatural, announced that IFC Films' Late Night with the Devil broke records with its April ...
Monster Movie NIght Son Of Dr. Jekyll Season 15 Ep 8 Ep 326
An illustration of an open book. Books. An illustration of two cells of a film strip. Video An illustration of an audio speaker. ... Monster Movie Night starring Bobby Gammonster and Boris T Buzzard present 'The Son of Dr. Jekyll" starring Louis Haywood. Dr. ... There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write a review. 34 Views ...
9 New Books We Recommend This Week
Justin Taylor's novel "Reboot" examines the convergence of entertainment, online arcana and conspiracy theory. Jamaica Kincaid and Kara Walker unearth botany's buried history to figure out ...