The Slender Man is the stuff of modern myth, thanks to meme-master, Eric Knudson/Victor Surge: an elongated, spectral fabrication made "real" by pop-cultural consciousness. (A famous, murder case even sprung from the character.) A movie, therefore, based on the legend would only go to reason, and in this case it's written by David "13 Sins" Birke and directed by Silvain "The Losers" White.
Interestingly enough, their concoction is teen-oriented. That wouldn't have seemed so strange a decade or so ago, but teens today don't generally dig horror movies, even though some might tinker with YouTube's collection of ghosts (animated smudges) and flying saucers (sun-streamed clouds).
"Slender Man'"s principals are girls, played by Joey King, Annalise Basso, Jaz Sinclair, and Julia Goldani Telles. That we have girls confronting a monster instead of boys makes sense since (contrary to what the film's backdrop suggests) the latter would be more inclined to swat one another with plastic wands in shadowy corners at literary events. (I actually witnessed this goofy ritual at one of my impromptu, book-promoting sojourns.) Anyway, the girls conjure the apparition on a giddy whim, and for their audacity, the enigmatic fiend starts to torment them in the most unusual ways.
What follows might have been culled from any number of "Friday the 13th", "Halloween" or "Elm Street" pictures, though in this instance, the events feature no excessive sex or splatter. Instead, the horror is presented in hazy, computerized form and for the most part plays in the Val Lewton vein: a nice touch.
The girls do a valiant (though often futile) job in warding off their aggressor. These struggles give the film some oomph, but the culmination isn't enough to put it over the edge (or make it in any way symbolic of conquering one's fears). It also doesn't place the cinematic Slender Man on a par with his earlier, Photoshopped incarnations. That's a shame, since the intent here was clearly to hook the young for immediate profit and fun, though I doubt this theatrical release will reach that goal.
If anything, "Slender Man" will be viewed more so after it leaves theaters, and it'll be older folks who'll try it. (In fact, there were only nine people in attendance at the Regal Cinema I attended, and we were all within the forty-something range.) Alas, the age of teen horror-appreciation is now dormant. If ever that sprightly trend should return, it'll be a generation or two down the line when the likes of "Slender Man" can be appreciated by those far braver and more imaginative than the snivelers who now populate the scene.
As an afterthought, I must say that I did appreciate "Slender Man'"s sacrifice motif. This isn't necessarily a big deal in the film on the whole, but ultimately, one character does sacrifice herself for another, which struck me as quite inspiring, even if the noble gesture appears creepy per its presentation.
ReplyDeleteThe more I consider this matter, the more I'm inclined to like the film, see it as worthy, despite what the mainstream critics say. Repeated viewings would help mold my opinion further...