In a small town in Massachusetts, four friends, Wren, Hallie, Chloe and Katie summon the Slender Man. A week later, Katie disappears and the other three girls go to her house to investigate for clues. The three discover that Katie had been involved in the occult and that she wanted the Slender Man to take her.
The three girls decide to make contact with the Slender Man in an attempt to get Katie back in exchange for something else. Wren, who has researched Slender Man mythology, warns Hallie and Chloe not to open their eyes while the three are making contact with the Slender Man for fear of death or madness. Chloe panics, opens her eyes and comes face to face with the Slender Man. Sometime later, the Slender Man enters Chloe’s house and drives her insane.
Slender Man is a 2018 American supernatural horror film directed by Sylvain White and written by David Birke, based on the character of the same name. The film stars Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, and Annalise Basso, with Javier Botet as the title creature.
The film was announced in May 2016, and much of the cast signed on a year later. Filming took place in Ayer, Massachusetts in June and July 2017. Slender Man was released in the United States on August 10, 2018, by Screen Gems, grossed over $51 million worldwide. Although a box office success, it received a largely negative reception from critics and audiences alike.
As of November 18, 2018, Slender Man has grossed $30.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $21.2 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $51.7 million. In the United States and Canada, Slender Man was released alongside The Meg and BlacKkKlansman, and was projected to gross $8–12 million from 2,109 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $4.9 million on its first day, including $1 million from Thursday night previews, and went on to debut to $11.3 million, finishing fourth at the box office. It fell 56% to $5 million in its second weekend, finishing eighth.
Film Review for Slender Man
Our four heroines — Wren (Joey King), Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles), Katie (Annalise Basso), and Chloe (Jaz Sinclair) — are just an ordinary group of high school girls lifted straight out of any number of cliche teen dramas. There’s nothing extraordinary about them to keep the story stimulating, which makes it difficult to empathize with them when all hell breaks loose. Unlike the Losers’ Club from Stephen King’s IT or the gang from Stranger Things, this band of misfits is easily forgettable.
There’s also the problem with Slender Man’s overall commentary on society that’s never fully realized. Since the titular creature is a manifestation of the viral nature of the internet, one would think that the movie might offer some insight into how social media has the power to create horrific beings like Slender Man, but the story never quite goes there.
Sure, there are moments when the girls are in chat rooms and message boards trying to figure how to defeat him, but all of it feels inauthentic and even a little dated. The websites they frequent look like something out of Sandra Bullock’s 1995 film, The Net, instead of the sleek, modern designs of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Slender Man does, however, excel in the visual and sound departments. The score, composed by Game of Thrones and Westworld alums Ramin Djawadi and Brandon Campbell, oozes creepiness with its heavy use of string instruments, creating a foreboding atmosphere throughout the film. The harrowing opening credits alone quickly remind the viewer what kind of movie they’re about to see.
White also does an excellent job of creating terrifying visuals whenever the Slender Man is running amok, especially in the densely wooded areas. The pale faceless figure seems to appear out of nowhere, easily blending in with the surrounding forest. The movie lures your eyes into searching for Slender Man in every scene, which heightens the already tense mood. Sadly, sound and visuals alone can’t keep Slender Man afloat.
Slender Man (Javier Botet) is definitely the movie’s main attraction, even though he typically sticks to the shadows and doesn’t utter a single word. He’s truly an imposing figure, and while the film’s PG-13 rating doesn’t allow for oodles of blood splatter, his mere presence is enough to startle the bravest of souls. It’s just a shame that he wasn’t given a better backstory.
As with most supernatural movies, there’s that quintessential moment when one of the heroes goes to a library and does some research on whatever creature is haunting them. Even in this particular scene, the Slender Man’s history is rushed and incomplete. We’re never given a clear understanding on how his powers work and when exactly he can show up, like Freddy Krueger in your dreams or The Conjuring’s spirits that are trapped in certain homes. Instead of holding back more Slender Man (maybe for a potential sequel?), the movie would have been more effective if its villain were properly contextualized, to begin with.
Slender Man (2018)
Directed by: Sylvain White
Starring: Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, Alex Fitzalan, Taylor Richardson, Javier Botet, Jessica Blank, Michael Reilly Burke, Gabrielle Lorthe, Danny Beaton
Screenplay by: David Birke, Victor Surge
Production Design by: Jeremy Woodward
Cinematography by: Luca Del Puppo
Film Editing by: Jake York
Costume Design by: Deborah Newhall
Set Decoration by: Kim Leoleis
Music by: Brandon Campbell, Ramin Djawadi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for disturbing images, sequences of terror, thematic elements and language including some crude sexual references.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures
Release Date: August 10, 2018
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