Scary Movie Night by Miranda Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars**
Scary Movie Night is a modern Popcorn Thriller meets Locked Room Murder Mystery, that also manages to bring all the luxury of Old Hollywood at the same time. It’s sounds like a lot, and it sort of is, but I had a blast reading it.
In this story, we follow Tippi, who has recently broken off her engagement and is planning to travel to Europe for a reset. Before she goes though, her BFF decides to throw her a horror-themed party for her upcoming 35th-birthday.
Tippi, named for Tippi Hedren, of Hitchcock’s The Birds fame, is a huge Hitchcock fan. In fact, she wrote a book on it, Hitchcock films. Thus, the party will stick true to those roots, with the guests even dressing as different characters.
The party is going to be held at Tippi’s Grandmother’s lavish mansion. Tippi was raised by her Grandmather, Marmee, and the two remain very close. Even though Tippi’s not really in a mood to party, she appreciates the gesture, and honestly, how bad can it be?
It’s just for a weekend and the guest list is small, just Tippi and 5 of her closest friends, plus Marmee squirreled away in her room upstairs. What could possibly go wrong?
The tone is set when before the party is even in full swing, Tippi discovers a mysterious and threatening note on the gifts table. Her first thought is her ex, Oliver, could he possibly be there, lurking around the enormous property? Who else would have written such a nasty note?
Then the terror escalates, it’s not just notes, people are getting hurt, disappearing and worse. Tippi and the other guests find themselves thrust into the action of a Thriller movie, and Tippi wants no part of it. This night will change everything forever. Who will even make it out alive?
As a Hitchcock girlie, this was such an enjoyable read. I loved the set-up and the mixed media elements Smith included. We actually get little excerpts from Tippi’s book, where she discusses some of Hitchcock’s most popular films. I loved that and how certain plot points from those films could be loosely found within this story.
I loved Tippi and her Grandmother, Marmee. Their relationship was great, though I was disturbed by the fact that, with everything going on, Tippi just left Marmee upstairs in her bedroom alone. Like don’t worry, there’s only an apparent killer on the loose, just stay here.
It definitely gets wacky and OTT in the 2nd-half, but I was eating it up. I was sat and invested in the chaos. The friend group is freaking messy. Everyone had secrets and sort of nasty personalities, NGL, besides Tippi and her bestie.
I loved the atmosphere as well. Marmee’s mansion is stacked with luxurious items and memorabilia of Old Hollywood. There’s also inclement weather, and though the mansion is large, a feeling of claustrophobia does set in once the intensity amps up. It did feel quite cinematic because of that.
Overall, I just felt like this was a really entertaining dark Thriller. It’s messy and high stakes, with a cast of morally grey characters and captivating twists. I would recommend it to Horror Thriller Readers, or fans of Hitchcock films.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed this a lot more than Smith’s earlier release, Smile for the Cameras, and I’m excited to pick up more from her.
We love an upward trajectory with an author’s work!