While seemingly an innocuous children’s show, its mysterious, grinning host Mr. Crocket emerges from television sets to brutally kill parents and kidnap their young children. After snatching her son, a determined mother embarks on a quest to rescue him from the entertainer.
The take
Parenting is tough. Of course, everyone should try to do a good job at it, and shouldn’t be abusive, but sometimes, especially when frustrated, some find themselves snapping. Sometimes, they would do anything just to make kids behave, even if it’s just to give them an iPad or place them in front of the television. Mr. Crocket takes this behavior as a portal for an evil entity. It’s a clever premise, with a campy execution of 90s aesthetics and Elvis Nolasco is especially menacing as the titular host, but while the film crafts a creeping sense of terror, it feels less terrifying when the film barely devotes time to the mother and son at the center. Mr. Crocket still manages to be a fun horror film to watch despite that.
What stands out
The man himself. He’s like Mr. Roger if he transformed into Freddy Krueger around bad parenting.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror
8.0
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
System Crasher (2019)
A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.
9.0
His Three Daughters (2024)
Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait
8.9
Incendies (2011)
Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene
9.9
Wind River (2017)
Sicario's screenwriter directs this story of murder in an Indigenous reserve
9.4
Cold War (2018)
A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals
9.2
Short Term 12 (2013)
Sweet, slow-moving, and possibly life-changing, this American drama shines the light on the chaos and crises of social work in America
9.9
Wild Tales (2014)
Co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar, this tumultuous Argentine anthology film tests the limits of human sanity when pushed to the extremes – and will also test yours.
9.9
The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.