Originally posted on Meteor Media.
Film critic Charlie Vogelsang takes a look at 2018's Slender Man, which is now available on Netflix.
Based on the Creepypasta, the freaky figure of Slender Man has sparked many stories and games in the past few years. The latest adaptation is the film of the same name, directed by Sylvain White. The trailers definitely depict a scary film, but does it live up to the hype?
The movie follows a group of friends who are fascinated by the internet lore of the Slender Man. In an attempt to prove that he doesn’t exist, one of the friends summons him and mysteriously goes missing. They all begin to have supernatural experiences that make them believe that the curse is real and that they are actually being haunted by the lanky legend.
Style wise – Slender Man looks cool and modern. The shaky cam, point of view shots and the amateur ‘found footage’ moments add to the eeriness of the film and lead to a few spine-tingling moments. Despite it looking like a horror film, in reality it’s disappointingly not scary. Admittedly, there are a few moments that will make you jump but the film just isn’t as terrifying as the trailer would have you believe.
Like in many horror films, the characters are incredibly stupid
The cast in Slender Man are poor and often feel like they have given their second-best performance. The decision to hire young actors to play high school students meant that the acting was too stiff and amateurish. Joey King (as leading protagonist, Wren) is the only star in the film that makes you feel in danger.
Like in many horror films, the characters are incredibly stupid. This makes it difficult to relate to them as they are not realistic. Almost everyone in the film would repeatedly make silly mistakes that are truly inconceivable.
Slender Man also has moments in the film that seem significant and are then never brought up again. For example, Wren’s father in the film is never seen or even referenced after the girls infiltrate his house. The film features a lot of things that never link back and it makes the film seem inconsistent.
Sadly, Slender Man follows the recent horror trend of trailers over-selling what the film actually is. In reality, Slender Man is a wannabe J-horror film that falls flat. It’s a mediocre movie that won’t scare you, but might give you a laugh for a few hours.
Score: 5/10