Beware the Slenderman (2016)

Tells the story of two 12-year old girls, who attempted to murder one of their friends in an attempt to appease Slenderman, a fictional monster from a horror website.

Director:

Irene Taylor Brodsky

Stars:

Morgan Geyser, Anissa Weier, Angie Geyser

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Morgan Geyser	...	Self - Stabbing Suspect
Anissa Weier	...	Self - Stabbing Suspect
Angie Geyser	...	Self - Morgan's Mother
Bill Weier	...	Self - Anissa's Father
Michael O. Bohren	...	Self - Judge
Michelle Trussoni	...	Self - City of Waukesha Police Department
Kristi Weier	...	Self - Anissa's Mother
Payton Leutner	...	Self - Stabbing Victim (archive footage)
Trevor J. Blank	...	Self - Digital Folklorist
Brad Kim	...	Self - KnowYourMeme.com
Richard Dawkins	...	Self - Evolutionary Biologist
Jack Zipes	...	Self - Literary Critic
Tom Haynes	...	Self - Anissa's Former Teacher
Abigail Baird	...	Self - Neurodevelopmental Psychologist
Tyler	...	Self - Former Fellow Inmate

Storyline

Lurking in the shadows of the Internet, a faceless modern-day bogeyman has attracted the attention and fear of a young generation who whisper his name online. Slenderman lives on the dark pages of the web, where impressionable youth create and cultivate his mythos in message boards, YouTube clips and various other digital incantations. But the online fairy tale becomes a shocking real-life horror as two 12-year-old girls, guided by their devotion to Slenderman, lure their friend into the woods to attempt a seemingly inexplicable, brutal murder. From the depths of one the Internet's most unsettling creations to the court case that must consider the consequences, Beware the Slenderman brings to light questions of accountability in an age where young, growing minds are only a few clicks away from creating and consuming something that may influence them to commit unspeakable crimes.

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Plot Keywords:

internet | slenderman | girl | stabbing | meme | 

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Taglines:

On May 31st, 2014, in the woods outside of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two 12-year-old girls stabbed their classmate 19 times. This is the true story of what drove them to do it.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Crime

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the stabbing took place in Waukesha County (Waukesha). Anisa is being held further north in adjoining Washington County (West Bend).

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Goofs

During Trevor J. Blank's interview (at the 28:18 mark), footage is shown of the popular Youtube series "WATCHER" by Andrew J. Neis. "WATCHER" is not a Slenderman-related series, it features a human stranger that stands outside of a couple's apartment window and stares at them, never moving or speaking. The creators of "Beware the Slenderman" appear to have digitally edited the video to remove the face of the "WATCHER" character and make it appear as though it could possibly be a real-life Slenderman.

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Quotes

Herself - Stabbing Suspect: Make sure she's down.

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Connections

Referenced in Half in the Bag: Slender Man (2018)

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Soundtracks

Rising Walls
(uncredited)
Music by Myuu

User Reviews

Disappointing

Others have summarized this documentary far better than I can. I will just reiterate that the movie is far too long. There is a lengthy description of folklore and horror stories, which could have been cut down considerably.

Then there are the interviews with the parents of the two perpetrators, which also could have been cut down. It seems like there is a lot of repetition.

This movie could have been tightened up and submitted as a short- subject documentary, and I think it would have been better.

I did like the courtroom sequences; however, the cases are not yet resolved. Perhaps the film-maker could have waited another six months to give the story a better conclusion? Obviously the appeals are going to drag on for years, but at least show the audience the outcome of the trials, which apparently are taking place in the spring of 2017.

I also would have liked to have heard from the victim, or a member of the victim's family.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2018 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Beware the Slenderman

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Documentary Films, Vermilion Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Color:

Color