Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- oppressive
- halloween viewing
- autumn night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric, well-acted, unusually subtle television horror story, though some object to its casting and uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bubba is falsely accused, hunted, and killed before the posse faces mysterious retaliation linked to the scarecrow.
The film keeps both a supernatural scarecrow and the posse members' escalating paranoia in play.
The cornfield, farm community, posse, and cover-up turn small-town Americana into an atmosphere of shared culpability.
Scarecrow imagery, cornfields, fall ambience, and controlled sound and cinematography create the film's signature unease.
Films like Dark Night of the Scarecrow, and why
The Legend of Hell House
rural supernatural horror, ambiguous haunting, and restrained atmosphere
The Fog
small-town paranoia, moral guilt, and creeping supernatural menace
The Wicker Man
folk horror atmosphere, persecuted outsider, and revenge from beyond death
The Shining
psychological uncertainty, rural isolation, and understated supernatural dread
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank De Felitta
- Release Date
- 1981-10-24
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (203)
Cast
- Charles Durning
- Larry Drake
- Robert F. Lyons
- Claude Earl Jones
- Lane Smith
- Tonya Crowe
- Jocelyn Brando
- Tom Taylor
- Richard McKenzie
- Ivy Jones
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Night Flight Plus, Eternal Family, IndiePix Unlimited Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Bloodstream
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dark Night of the Scarecrow about?
- A falsely accused man becomes the center of a restrained rural haunting that turns mob justice into supernatural dread.
- What is Dark Night of the Scarecrow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark Night of the Scarecrow as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dark Night of the Scarecrow violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Dark Night of the Scarecrow as moderate.
- What did critics think of Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric, well-acted, unusually subtle television horror story, though some object to its casting and uneven execution.
- Which films are like Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
- Films with a similar feel include The Legend of Hell House, The Fog, The Wicker Man, and The Shining.
- How long is Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
- Dark Night of the Scarecrow runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
- In United States, Dark Night of the Scarecrow streams on Philo, Night Flight Plus, Eternal Family, IndiePix Unlimited Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
