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Beware the Slenderman

Play trailer Poster for Beware the Slenderman 2016 1h 57m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
The mythos of a faceless, digital-age bogeyman known as Slenderman was created on the Internet, but his influence was felt in the real world when two 12-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods for a brutal murder.
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Beware the Slenderman

Beware the Slenderman

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Critics Consensus

Though it gets a bit lost in the details, Beware the Slenderman avoids exploiting its young subjects, instead providing insights into the looming dangers that lurk on the internet.

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Critics Reviews

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Lenika Cruz The Atlantic 02/04/2017
While Beware the Slenderman isn't an easy watch-and will undoubtedly inspire anxiety and panic in some viewers, particularly parents-it's a worthy one that helps make sense of a senseless crime. Go to Full Review
Johanna Schneller Toronto Star 01/31/2017
Harnessing the simplicity and reach of the Internet is an appropriate technique for this doc, because it's about just that. But using Skype is also a genius tip for any doc maker on a budget. Which is every doc maker. Go to Full Review
Nick Schager The Daily Beast 01/27/2017
What emerges is a portrait of the internet as the birthplace of contemporary folklore -- a virtual campfire in which disparate users come together to channel, and distill, their fears, anxieties, and dreams into fanciful tales, la the Brothers Grimm. Go to Full Review
Jason Shawhan Nashville Scene 09/10/2021
Beware the Slenderman is a deeply sad and ultimately tragic story that will make you consider how our legal, medical and mental health systems are actually working. You won't sleep well, but not for supernatural reasons. Go to Full Review
Jorge Loser Espinof 08/16/2019
The film focuses in details of the case, and tries to associate its two aspects without achieving a conclusive correlation or a solid theory to hold on to.[Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Trace Thurman Bloody Disgusting 10/31/2018
4/5
A truly terrifying look at the influence the internet can have on today's youth. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tyler P. @TylerPhoenixMD Nov 26 Decent if you wanted to know what went down. See more 06/11/2024 I’ve never seen a documentary sympathise so much with attempted murderers, and not bring up how this affected the victim and the victims family whatsoever. See more Rae L 02/04/2024 Documentary felt directionless and the through line was unclear. All at once, it attempted to be about internet trends, scary folklore, the stabbing case, and the parents' experience of their children stabbing a friend. Too many stories. Also random tonal changes, like the bit where the "experts" interviewed over Skype very quirkily cannot connect to the call. It was a weirdly written and directed doc. See more Evan O 12/04/2022 This documentary centered around the 2014 Slenderman Stabbing is very emotional, especially for the parents of Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier. Luckily, Payton Luetner, who was stabbed 19 times survived. See more andy h 03/13/2022 I went into it expecting a creepy pasta saga, but I got a more sympathetic yet realistic look at this unforgettable case of tween girl true crime near tragedy. See more 11/08/2021 Beware the Slenderman, directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky, is a compelling look at the famous fictional boogeyman and it's influence on two 12 year old girls to attempt such a heinous crime, that mostly holds up, however is bogged down by a boring 2nd half. Sunmary: The mythos of a faceless, digital-age bogeyman known as Slenderman was created on the Internet, but his influence was felt in the real world when two 12-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods for a brutal murder. So what are the positives about this documentary? It provides an interesting look on a very compelling and horrific case with personal connections with the family you have never seen before on any news interview. And I really like how they touch base with these people and how much the tragedy affected them as much as the other people in Wisconsin. It's really sad that this family might not have been able to see their daughters for a while because they let a fictional creepypasta story take over their life and affect them in a very unhealthy way. And the theories presented about the famous legend itself are very interesting throughout. And the third half tells a tale of Schizophrenia and its effects for those on the receiving end well, and the trauma that can occur from such an awful disorder. However, what I really didn't like was the really boring 2nd half throughout that almost should've probably been cut. Seriously, you could probably shave 30 minutes from this thing, and it could've most likely ended up way more compelling, and perhaps even replace it with the victim's family and their POV, and how they feel. Instead, it subjects us to mostly the family and how they couldn't see the signs, which is very hypocritical l, because in the first 10 minutes, we get insight of how Anissa Weier, one of the perpetrators of this awful crime, didn't react normally to situations like most other people do. Instead, what is presented is 80% fanfiction/art off of the internet that didn't get credit for some reason (along with the nostalgic appearances of webseries' like Marble Hornets and Tribetwelve among others), and, here we go, PUT THE BLAME ON THE IPADS instead, and the internet, and not LEGITIMATE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS! It always irritates me that when something like this is shown, people tend to gravitate towards the internet being the problem entirely, and not a larger picture surrounding the person's life. Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser had mental issues that needed addressed and should've been addressed, and instead we blame the Ipads? Like, we are still doing this? These parents seem like kind that would say video game violence causes real world violence. And while the last 20 minutes held my attention much like the first 10 to maybe 35, the 50 to 80 minute mark dragged it down a bit for me to call this documentary 'amazing'. So with all of this being said, I have seen worse documentaries (*coughs* Room 237), and this held my attention for a bit. I just wish it could have held it more. See more Read all reviews
Beware the Slenderman

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Movie Info

Synopsis The mythos of a faceless, digital-age bogeyman known as Slenderman was created on the Internet, but his influence was felt in the real world when two 12-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods for a brutal murder.
Director
Irene Taylor
Producer
Sophie Harris, Sheila Nevins
Production Co
HBO Documentary Films, Vermilion Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 57m
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