Trailerblazing -- Slender Man

Slender Man -- May 18, 2018 -- directed by Sylvain White -- starring Joey King, Annalise Basso, Javier Botet, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Kevin Chapman

  

I miss the days of Psycho, Don't Look Now and Suspiria -- you know, those days when horror cinema had meaning. This trailer shows... oh, I am not even sure what it is. I do not understand and do not want to understand the obsession with the Slender Man myth or whatever it is. What is so appealing about a creeper terrorizing, hunting and abducting children? I guess that, when an imaginative and inspiring story eludes you, a shock-and-violence narrative will do. Considering the horrendous 2014 crime linked to this inane character, I also find the idea of this film in bad taste. The concept should be forgotten, not exploited for financial gain and no, I am not blaming violence on fiction. I am saying that a character like this one is an empty shell of an attempt, one that does nothing for creativity and certainly does not help someone who is already over the edge. As far as the film goes, it looks like a cynical yawn. Young girls -- why is it always girls? -- getting lost in the woods and seeing things is an overdone trope. Is there a story here? Anywhere? The pretentious Goth wannabe imagery and cinematography is laughable, only adding to the effect of pure shlock. If there is anything that we can learn from this trailer, it is that Hollywood is officially running out of ideas.