HBO's BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN is a fascinating documentary that doubles as both a true crime story and an examination of the darker corners of modern folklore. In 2014, twelve year olds Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, stabbed their friend, Payton Leutner nineteen times and left her for dead. Peyton managed to crawl to safety and was found by a passing cyclist, who called the police and brought the proper medical attention, saving her life. When the assailants were apprehended, they confessed to the crime, saying that they did it for the Slenderman. They had committed the vicious act to win his approval and to keep harm from coming to them and their families.
This film, from director Irene Taylor Brodsky, looks at the court proceedings that followed the event, as well as the infamous Slenderman himself, the boogeyman at the center of the crime. Though various interviews with Morgan and Anissa’s families, medical experts, folklore historians and law enforcement officials, the film presents a very thorough, well-rounded and thought-provoking examination of the various aspects of this horrific story.
Brodsky examines the Slenderman's origins as an internet Photoshop challenge in 2009, to the complicated Creepypasta mythos that has sprung up in the following years. A tall, gangly, menacing and faceless figure who is often portrayed near unknowing children or play areas, the Slenderman quickly achieved internet stardom and has been the subject of numerous stories, games, videos and images in the years since his inception. We hear from several internet and folklore experts who explain the appeal of the character and the way his legend has spread. The story of the Slenderman is almost alive itself. From its genesis just a few short years ago, it has changed and grown rapidly, as fans and community members have added their own details, stories and media, building a complexly changing mythology that, for one reason or another, has spoken to many.
The vast majority of these fans have not gone on to attempt murder in his name, so the question becomes just why did the girls identify with this mythology in the way they did? Why did they adopt the mythos of Slenderman and use it to commit a terrible act of violence against their friend? The film includes interviews with behavioral health professionals on what exactly the girls might have found so appealing about the legend, and what other mental health related factors could have played a role in the events.
Brodsky’s film is extremely balanced, and is bigger and more encompassing than just being a shock piece about a horrific crime. We get to see both the legal and the cultural aspects at play. The goal here is not to shift blame to any one source, but rather to examine the perfect storm of factors that combined to lead to these girls deciding to commit murder in the first place. There is no question that they committed the act, so the question instead becomes, how and why did this happen? And for that, there is no easy answer.
The film is very informative and thought-provoking, but also very tense. How could it be anything else, when we're talking about a horrific crime and the proceedings are peppered with image upon image of the Slenderman himself? We're seeing a true life horror movie unfolding before us, with a boogeyman for the internet age. But despite that, it never feels hokey or exploitative. It elegantly balances the study of folklore and mythology with the ongoing crime story. It manages to capture both the shock and the sadness of the incident itself, while always staying grounded. Equal parts crime story and thoughtful lesson in modern folklore, BEWARE THE SLENDERMAN is a fascinating portrait of a modern and all too true horror story.
