For the closing night film of this year’s Fantastic Fest, the programmers have chosen an unusual horror flick that offers up the premise, what if Mr. Rogers was a psychotic killer that preyed upon the parents of his most ardent fans, children? Writer/director Brandon Espy and co-writer Carl Reid have concocted an imaginative nightmare for parents everywhere. The fact I am not a parent probably affected my experience, but I get the feeling that most parents will be somewhat affected by what this horror film has to offer.
A widowed, still grieving mother (Jerrika Hinton) struggles to raise her only son, as he often lashes out, as he, too, is coping with the loss of his father. Not knowing how to keep her son occupied and out of trouble, an old VHS tape of a children’s show seemingly magically comes into her possession. The frustrated mother utilizes it to keep her son entertained. However, while well-mannered and capable of teaching children some valuable lessons, Mr. Crocket (Elvis Nolasco), the host of the program, turns out to be a supernatural, malevolent being who abducts children and kills any parents who get in his way.
While I didn’t find the Mr. Crocket character all that visually frightening, the idea that he takes children away from their parents and will resort to violent measures to do so is a disturbing premise. The filmmakers utilize this premise to make a thought-provoking statement about parents using television as a substitute for parenting. The film explores the consequences of this, as the seemingly harmless children’s show becomes a tool for a malevolent being to carry out his sinister deeds. However, while the idea has merit, the film never truly shows the ugly side of its title character, or at least never quite executes it in some genuinely frightening ways.
While I will give some kudos to the filmmakers for the inventive take on a Mr. Rogers-meets-Freddy Krueger, I must admit that I was left disappointed. At least Krueger has a genuinely scary presence on screen. Elvis Nolasco portrays an amiable and goofy host with a perfectly disarming personality to sink his teeth into the malevolence he wishes to accomplish. Still, I expected something more scary and disturbing and was ultimately disappointed.
There is still plenty of room to explore Mr. Crocket’s backstory and how he became an evil force, but that all depends if we get a sequel. The possibility of a sequel leaves us with a sense of anticipation and eagerness. Until then, Mr. Crocket is overall fine, but not as frightening or disturbing as one would expect from modern horror. However, the film’s unique blend of a beloved children’s show host and a malevolent force could potentially influence future horror films. The movie is now available for streaming on Hulu.