Beware the Slenderman
A haunting true-crime documentary traces how an online bogeyman, adolescent vulnerability, and a brutal attack collide in a Wisconsin courtroom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- haunting
- poignant
- disturbing
- true crime night
- documentary viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the documentary haunting and poignant in its examination of bullying, untreated mental illness, internet mythology, and juvenile responsibility.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film traces Slenderman from message boards, videos, and creepypasta into the lives of impressionable adolescents and a real criminal case.
The court proceedings must assess the responsibility of two twelve-year-old girls alongside their psychological states and devotion to Slenderman.
Its account connects online myth cultivation with adolescent isolation, bullying, and the girls' escalating belief in the Slenderman mythos.
The faceless web bogeyman is treated as an unsettling cultural creation while the film grounds its horror in interviews, evidence, and the criminal trial.
Films like Beware the Slenderman, and why
The Wolfpack
documentary true crime investigation examining youth violence, mental illness, and media influence
Bully
observational crime documentary focused on adolescent psychology, social pressure, and disturbing real-world consequences
West of Memphis
haunting true crime documentary exploring institutional accountability, trauma, and the aftermath of violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Irene Taylor
- Release Date
- 2016-03-11
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (274)
Cast
- Morgan Geyser
- Anissa Weier
- Payton Leutner
- Angie Geyser
- William Weier
- Michael O. Bohren
- Michelle Trussoni
- Kristi Weier
- Trevor J. Blank
- Brad Kim
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Beware the Slenderman about?
- A haunting true-crime documentary traces how an online bogeyman, adolescent vulnerability, and a brutal attack collide in a Wisconsin courtroom.
- What is Beware the Slenderman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beware the Slenderman as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Beware the Slenderman violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Beware the Slenderman as graphic.
- What did critics think of Beware the Slenderman?
- Critics broadly found the documentary haunting and poignant in its examination of bullying, untreated mental illness, internet mythology, and juvenile responsibility.
- Which films are like Beware the Slenderman?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wolfpack, Bully, and West of Memphis.
- How long is Beware the Slenderman?
- Beware the Slenderman runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beware the Slenderman?
- In United States, Beware the Slenderman streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
