Long before The Backrooms and Skinamarink monopolized conversations of liminal/analog horror, we had Creepypastas. Coming to prominence around the early 2000s, Creepypastas started forming the basis of what now rules the TikTok horror shorts algorithm. Two specific horror properties elevated the world of liminal/analog horror and have been bastardized by wannabe filmmakers who put a Tally Hall song over ‘deep fried’ edited videos. The properties that led us to this point were r/NoSleep (and by proxy, the NoSleep Podcast) and SyFy’s Channel Zero (and no, I could never forget you Alantutorial but that’s a whole other conversation).
r/NoSleep would run the gamut of horror subgenres, but they helped form the basis of where the genre is today. While the NoSleep Podcast is still going strong, it is far from what it once was. And we all know what happened to Channel Zero (rest in peace). Since Channel Zero, I haven’t felt a single film or show nail the Creepypasta /liminal/analog horror feel like they used to. That was until I met Mr. Crocket.
Mr. Crocket follows Summer (Jerrika Hinton) and her son Major (Ayden Gavin). Following the tragic death of Summer’s husband, she and her son grieve in incredibly different ways. One day, when Summer and Major are at the ends of their respective ropes, a little free library appears on their front lawn. Among the items in the repurposed bird box is a VHS tape for a sing-along show called Mr. Crocket’s World! Major quickly falls head over heels for the show, but things quickly turn ominous. When Major disappears, Summer does whatever she can to get to the bottom of this mystery while trying to put together all the pieces surrounding the mysterious Mr. Crocket.
Writer/director Brandon Espy, along with co-writer Carl Reid, brings his Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween short to full-feature glory with Mr. Crocket. At points, the pacing of the film falls to the whim of ambiance, but the ambiance is damn fine. Espy transports audiences into an uncomfortable world of whimsy, which doubles as commentary in a way that doesn’t feel heavy-handed. Labeling Mr. Crocket as liminal or analog is slightly reductive of the film, but its vibe and atmosphere embody what was so great about the liminal and analog horror I grew up with. Mr. Crocket feels like a more accessible and likable (for general audiences) version of Channel Zero: Candle Cove.
The real success of Mr. Crocket falls on the performance of the titular character, Mr. Crocket (Elvis Nolasco). If Elvis Nolasco fails, the film fails. Fortunately, for Espy, they hit the nail on the head with Nolasco’s casting. The over-dentured Crocket flip flops between charming and sweet to terrifyingly manipulative in the blink of an eye. Forged in the fire of hell and abuse, Mr. Crocket is one of the Great antagonists of horror in the 2020s. Even as an adult, I can relate with the kids who are sucked in by his overzealous, and retrospectively creepy, demeanor. Most performances in Mr. Crocket are good, but Elvis Nolasco rightfully steals the show.
There is an unfortunate moment toward the end where Mr. Crocket’s plan, and backstory, are spelled out letter for letter. Part of me wonders if this was in Espy and Reid’s original script or if the powers that be requested more exposition. It’s not a make-or-break moment, but it does feel as if someone assumed viewers wouldn’t be smart enough to put the pieces together themselves. Even though Nolasco handles this exposition dump well, it’s very out of place and forced.
The nightmare world of Mr. Crocket is a set designer’s dream. When the rose-tinted glasses drop and the true horrors are revealed, you can’t help but marvel at the grotesquely decrepit world of Crocket’s creation. When you see the realities of what Crocket lives in, you can’t help but feel the grime covering your skin–and you can’t help but cringe in terror at the awful (in a good way) creations that exist there. Imagine the objects from Pee-wee’s Playhouse, but on LSD and crafted from the nightmares of Cronenberg.
Mr. Crocket gets the job done in an entertaining way and feels like the horror content that shaped who I am today. Nolasco gives one of the year’s most memorable performances for this character that deserves a sequel. This film won’t set the world on fire, but it’s enjoyable and incredibly entertaining. If you want to watch a fun antagonist prance around with chairs and clocks that would make the Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared team blush, then Mr. Crocket is the film for you.
Mr. Crocket releases Oct. 11, 2024, on Hulu.
