Due to an over-reliance on shock sensationalism, the true crime genre had been mostly discarded by documentary film-makers and relegated to tawdry late-night television. But it’s experienced something of a respectable makeover in recent years, thanks to the phenomenally successful Serial podcast, the Netflix breakout Making a Murderer and the critically adored OJ: Made in America, which is currently favorite to win the best documentary Oscar next month.
Tackling the difficult subject of Slenderman, the notorious meme turned moral panic, acclaimed documentarian Irene Taylor Brodsky was always going to be toeing a dangerous line. Balancing the sick curiosity factor of an undeniably terrifying figure with the horrific real-world implications of a crime he inspired would require sensitivity and tact, two qualities only recently rediscovered within the genre. But what Brodsky creates, with admirable restraint, is both chilling yet sympathetic, as much about the dangers online as it is about the devastating effects of untreated mental illness.
The story of Slenderman is both contemporary and classic. He’s a faceless tentacled ghoul born from the web, created by one person, his mythology pieced together digitally by others. But as much as he might be viewed as a damning reflection of the times, he’s also nothing but an updated boogeyman, a flashier Pied Piper, his tale spread by kids wanting a good scare. In 2014, he became something far worse: the inspiration for the brutal stabbing of a 12-year-old girl. In an even more shocking twist, her assailants were her friends: two other 12-year-old girls.
Assigning blame for real-world violence to an element of the media is not a unique narrative. Everything from Marilyn Manson to the Child’s Play franchise has been accused of poisoning the minds of youths and leading them to commit terrible acts. But there’s something more insidious about the reach and the influence of Slenderman. The digital spaces within which he lives have allowed for seemingly endless permutations of him inserted into video footage and old photographs. His story is constantly shifting and growing, cleverly adapted to appeal to lonely and bullied kids. Despite the ease with which many outlets at the time blamed the internet, the narrative here isn’t as simplistic. Because a scary meme isn’t the sole explanation provided and, with sensitivity and grace, the film also delves into the effects of schizophrenia.
In one particularly heartbreaking scene, Brodsky interviews the father of one of the girls on trial who also has the same condition that his daughter has been diagnosed with. It’s a remarkable, raw piece of film-making, his insights into the everyday struggle he faces (“Even though you know the devil isn’t in the backseat, the devil is in the backseat”) make for powerful and important viewing. It’s also vital that the film notes that it isn’t schizophrenia alone that leads to violence – it’s untreated and undiagnosed schizophrenia that can be dangerous. There’s a refreshingly un-staged and seemingly off-the-cuff nature to all the parental interviews in the film which make the emotions feel more real as they all discuss the signs they didn’t realize were warnings.
Unlike many true-crime documentaries, the focus isn’t on who but why and how. With access to the police interviews conducted with the girls directly after they were found, the film provides us with untouched and un-doctored evidence. It’s chilling to watch as two 12-year-olds discuss the intricacies of how to plan a murder and, given that a lot of the tension of the film relies on whether they will be tried as children or adults, it’s important to contrast this with evidence of their youth. A smart scene surveys the many YouTube videos liked by one of the girls: even a potential murderer likes cat videos.
Beware the Slenderman is both haunting and poignant, a sad tale of what bullying, untreated mental illness and crushing loneliness can create. It’s pre-empting a fictional horror film about Slenderman, now in production, that seems somewhat irresponsible in comparison.
- Beware the Slenderman premieres on HBO at 10pm on Monday 23 January and airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Thursday 26 January at 10pm.
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