By Carter Hall, Staff Reporter ¦
In the summer of 2012, there was a freeware-indie horror game that released on the Unity gaming engine titled “Slender Man.” As a fan of games and horror movies, I had to look into this game when it was first released. Playing this first person survival game gave me the chills. As time went on, the original game caught fire within the gaming world, which led to a few more games evolving around the Slender Man.
In 2013, almost a year after the release of the original game, there was another game that came out titled “Slender Man: The Arrival.” The concept may have stayed the same, collect all eight pages, but this new game jumped up a few notches by adding a crazy storyline. I could not wait to watch some gameplay of it. Some of my favorite YouTubers such as Markiplier and Jacksepticeye gave it a try and I loved watching their YouTube series about the game. The movie on the other hand… I wish the movie would have been as good as the games.
A little more than six years after the release of the first original “Slender Man” game, the once popular indie horror game hit the silver screen on Aug.10, 2018. A friend and I thought it would be a good idea to hit up United Artists and were lucky enough to find two empty seats among the countless middle and high school students in attendance to watch “Slender Man.”
With my friend by my side, melted candy and sticky soda beneath my Vans; the lights finally went dark signifying the moment of truth. Would “Slender Man” live up to its 6-year hype? Sadly, my answer is no.
The storyline of the movie is not very creative. Having played the game, I knew what was expected. There were certain scenes where I knew what was coming up next. I realize people can say, “Carter, you know the game, so you know what to expect,” or “You know how the ‘movie magic’ works already.” Nevertheless, that’s no excuse for a film that is so predictable. When it comes to captivating the audience, this film does not have much to offer other than a few jump scares.
I waited a few years for this film to come out and I believe I was robbed of money and time. I believe that there could have been a better storyline. On opening day, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a whopping 15 percent.
Plus, this movie is not scary. As a horror fan, I believe it is not scary if you see the monster coming at you with a bloody knife the whole time. If I were writing a horror film, I would develop my monster or attacker over time and give the audience snippets by telling a story and leading up to the dramatic reveal of the big bad monster we have heard all about. Instead, “Slender Man” is a movie where the “monster” carries the “bloody knife” the entire film.
I just wanted more out of this movie. Do not bother giving “Slender Man” the time.
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